Food Programmehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3 Investigating every aspect of the food we eatInvestigating every aspect of the food we eatBBC Radio 4BBCpodcast.support@bbc.co.ukenhttp://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1408x1408/p02r4zrs.jpgFood Programmehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3 (C) BBC 2015Mon, 27 Jul 2015 01:00:00 +0100nononadultBread for ScotlandScotland has a problem with food. For all the salmon, whisky and summer berries celebrated in this year of Scottish Food & Drink, the Government says its spending billions fighting an obesity crisis, and when it comes to groceries, the supermarket is king.
But for the last five years, a small community run bakery on the Scottish borders has been quietly gaining momentum, aiming to change the way Scotland thinks about food, and more specifically, about bread.
In this programme, Sheila Dillon visits the family behind Breadshare, now based in Portobello in Edinburgh. In the city's first community run bakery, husband and wife team Debra Riddell and Geoff Crowe, along with their son and a host of bakers and volunteers, sell bread, made with simple ingredients, and teach people how to make it. Could involving local people be the key to reconnecting Scottish people with Scottish food?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Sheila Dillon visits the community bakery teaching Edinburgh to bake.Scotland has a problem with food. For all the salmon, whisky and summer berries celebrated in this year of Scottish Food & Drink, the Government says its spending billions fighting an obesity crisis, and when it comes to groceries, the supermarket is king.
But for the last five years, a small community run bakery on the Scottish borders has been quietly gaining momentum, aiming to change the way Scotland thinks about food, and more specifically, about bread.
In this programme, Sheila Dillon visits the family behind Breadshare, now based in Portobello in Edinburgh. In the city's first community run bakery, husband and wife team Debra Riddell and Geoff Crowe, along with their son and a host of bakers and volunteers, sell bread, made with simple ingredients, and teach people how to make it. Could involving local people be the key to reconnecting Scottish people with Scottish food?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 27 Jul 2015 01:00:00 +01001688urn:bbc:podcast:b0638gpxhttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02y5w7d.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0638gpxFast Food WorkersWith a new "living wage" announced Sheila Dillon explores the world of fast food workers. In the U.S. a campaign over low pay, started in 2012, has now gone global. Saying they could no longer live on the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 the workers called for a salary based on $15.00 an hour.
The protests spread to more than 200 cities and inspired workers in other parts of the world to stand up for better pay. The campaign received the backing of President Barack Obama and cities including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles have now increased the minimum wage.
Sheila hears from one fast food work in New York's Bronx, Flavia Cabrell. She holds down two jobs including one at a McDonalds' restaurant and low pay led her to take action and join the protests. She explains why she's motivated by wanting to change the future for her children.
Meanwhile low pay was one of the main targets in Chancellor George Osborne's summer budget. Changes to tax credits and the introduction of a "national living wage" was the outcome. But some workers say the changes will still mean they live a precarious financial existence with zero hours contracts still a dominant model in the food industry and the living wage only applicable to over 25's.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon finds out how a fast food worker strike in the US is influencing the UK.With a new "living wage" announced Sheila Dillon explores the world of fast food workers. In the U.S. a campaign over low pay, started in 2012, has now gone global. Saying they could no longer live on the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 the workers called for a salary based on $15.00 an hour.
The protests spread to more than 200 cities and inspired workers in other parts of the world to stand up for better pay. The campaign received the backing of President Barack Obama and cities including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles have now increased the minimum wage.
Sheila hears from one fast food work in New York's Bronx, Flavia Cabrell. She holds down two jobs including one at a McDonalds' restaurant and low pay led her to take action and join the protests. She explains why she's motivated by wanting to change the future for her children.
Meanwhile low pay was one of the main targets in Chancellor George Osborne's summer budget. Changes to tax credits and the introduction of a "national living wage" was the outcome. But some workers say the changes will still mean they live a precarious financial existence with zero hours contracts still a dominant model in the food industry and the living wage only applicable to over 25's.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Mon, 20 Jul 2015 01:00:00 +01001701urn:bbc:podcast:b062htl5http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02xl6qn.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b062htl5New Wine GenerationThere's a revolution happening in the world of wine. While tradition once dictated the way things were done, a new generation of wine drinkers are shaking things up - in the way it's sold, consumed and written about - with the intention of shaking off the fustiness and perceived snobbery. Not only is there a new attitude about what's deemed good but there's an openness to alternative production methods and artisanal producers. Sheila Dillon asks if the underground movement we saw towards craft beers and ciders and specialist coffees is now being witnessed in the world of wine.
Dan Keeling of Noble Rot magazine argues this movement echoes indie labels in the music scene in which he started before immersing himself in wine writing. Award-winning sommelier Charlotte Sager-Wilde explains how trying to train up on wines while earning a small salary working in hospitality led her and her husband to a new model of wine bar - selling good wines by the glass rather than the bottle and training staff to share ideas with the curious rather than look down their noses. Meanwhile Peter Honegger has started his own wine store - while still a student - selling Austrian wines from niche producers who weren't being stocked elsewhere. Meanwhile we hear about the new tech which is enabling wine enthusiasts to gen up on wines and form their own opinions and ask is branding is putting style over substance.
Sheila Dillon asks if the slow moving world of wine is seeing its own revolution and if these new ideas can open the world of wine to more enthusiasts.
Presented by Sheila Dillon, Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon uncovers the new ways of drinking, selling and writing about wine.There's a revolution happening in the world of wine. While tradition once dictated the way things were done, a new generation of wine drinkers are shaking things up - in the way it's sold, consumed and written about - with the intention of shaking off the fustiness and perceived snobbery. Not only is there a new attitude about what's deemed good but there's an openness to alternative production methods and artisanal producers. Sheila Dillon asks if the underground movement we saw towards craft beers and ciders and specialist coffees is now being witnessed in the world of wine.
Dan Keeling of Noble Rot magazine argues this movement echoes indie labels in the music scene in which he started before immersing himself in wine writing. Award-winning sommelier Charlotte Sager-Wilde explains how trying to train up on wines while earning a small salary working in hospitality led her and her husband to a new model of wine bar - selling good wines by the glass rather than the bottle and training staff to share ideas with the curious rather than look down their noses. Meanwhile Peter Honegger has started his own wine store - while still a student - selling Austrian wines from niche producers who weren't being stocked elsewhere. Meanwhile we hear about the new tech which is enabling wine enthusiasts to gen up on wines and form their own opinions and ask is branding is putting style over substance.
Sheila Dillon asks if the slow moving world of wine is seeing its own revolution and if these new ideas can open the world of wine to more enthusiasts.
Presented by Sheila Dillon, Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 13 Jul 2015 01:00:00 +01001684urn:bbc:podcast:b061ph08http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02wl3hz.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b061ph08Feeding the Commons - Part II: Lunch to Lights OutFollowing the food operation at the centre of British politics. Lunch to Lights out
The Food Programme team go behind the scenes of one of the most historic food operations in the world.
In the second part of this edition, we hear how dining in Parliament is under new pressures.
Presented by Sheila Dillon & produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Lunch to lights out in the mother of Parliaments, an insider's view of Westminster's food.Following the food operation at the centre of British politics. Lunch to Lights out
The Food Programme team go behind the scenes of one of the most historic food operations in the world.
In the second part of this edition, we hear how dining in Parliament is under new pressures.
Presented by Sheila Dillon & produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 06 Jul 2015 01:00:00 +01001672urn:bbc:podcast:b060yk4phttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02w7scq.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b060yk4pFeeding the Commons - Part I: Breakfast to BrunchFollowing the food operation at the centre of British politics. Breakfast to Brunch. The Food Programme team go behind the scenes of one of the most historic food operations in the world.
In the first part of this edition, we discover the incredible history of dining in Parliament and meet the people who feed Westminster's 14 thousand pass holders.
8 thousand food transactions can be made here on any working day, and we recorded on one of the busiest - Prime Minister's Questions, one of the first under the new Government.
Presented by Sheila Dillon & produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.The incredible history of dining in Parliament. An insider's view of Westminster's food.Following the food operation at the centre of British politics. Breakfast to Brunch. The Food Programme team go behind the scenes of one of the most historic food operations in the world.
In the first part of this edition, we discover the incredible history of dining in Parliament and meet the people who feed Westminster's 14 thousand pass holders.
8 thousand food transactions can be made here on any working day, and we recorded on one of the busiest - Prime Minister's Questions, one of the first under the new Government.
Presented by Sheila Dillon & produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 29 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01001693urn:bbc:podcast:b0606vtzhttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02vxjb1.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0606vtzFantastic Fiction and Fabulous FeastsClose your eyes and think for a moment about the books you read as a child and those that talked about food. A vivid description of a flavour can spark the imagination and the taste buds but a secret midnight feast at Malory Towers, the elaborate Hogwarts feasts in Harry Potter or picnics in Wind in the Willows can instil an air of excitement about food that lasts into adulthood.
Sheila Dillon asks why some scenes can be so powerful they remain with us for decades. She meets those who changed their careers due to the power of the stories they read, she travels to a secret restaurant fantasy land and meets the schoolchildren for whom taste is being brought alive through descriptions of food and flavour.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon devours the delightful children's books that made us excited about food.Close your eyes and think for a moment about the books you read as a child and those that talked about food. A vivid description of a flavour can spark the imagination and the taste buds but a secret midnight feast at Malory Towers, the elaborate Hogwarts feasts in Harry Potter or picnics in Wind in the Willows can instil an air of excitement about food that lasts into adulthood.
Sheila Dillon asks why some scenes can be so powerful they remain with us for decades. She meets those who changed their careers due to the power of the stories they read, she travels to a secret restaurant fantasy land and meets the schoolchildren for whom taste is being brought alive through descriptions of food and flavour.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 22 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01001700urn:bbc:podcast:b05zg70hhttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02vbrl6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05zg70hSimon Hopkinson: A Life Through Food - Part 2Cook and writer Simon Hopkinson was at the height of his powers in the kitchen of Bibendum in London in the early 1990s, but he'd walk away from professional cooking to focus on his food writing.
In the second part of this interview with Sheila Dillon he explains why he left restaurant cooking behind, focus on writing that led to the "most useful cookbook of all time".
Simon describes life as chef at Bibendum restaurant, which counted among its loyal customers Elizabeth David, Dirk Bogarde and Alec Guinness. In 1994, aged only 40, he decided to move on.
For a decade there would be modest sales of his first book, Roast Chicken and Other Stories, and then a magazine poll in 2005 brought it to public attention and soon after, at one point it would be outselling copies of Harry Potter.
Sheila Dillon explores Simon's lifelong fascination with food and cooking and finds out why he no longer wanted to focus on life as a head chef.Simon Hopkinson explains why he left the success of Bibendum's kitchen to write about foodCook and writer Simon Hopkinson was at the height of his powers in the kitchen of Bibendum in London in the early 1990s, but he'd walk away from professional cooking to focus on his food writing.
In the second part of this interview with Sheila Dillon he explains why he left restaurant cooking behind, focus on writing that led to the "most useful cookbook of all time".
Simon describes life as chef at Bibendum restaurant, which counted among its loyal customers Elizabeth David, Dirk Bogarde and Alec Guinness. In 1994, aged only 40, he decided to move on.
For a decade there would be modest sales of his first book, Roast Chicken and Other Stories, and then a magazine poll in 2005 brought it to public attention and soon after, at one point it would be outselling copies of Harry Potter.
Sheila Dillon explores Simon's lifelong fascination with food and cooking and finds out why he no longer wanted to focus on life as a head chef.Mon, 15 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01001694urn:bbc:podcast:b060p54whttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02tsnch.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b060p54wSimon Hopkinson: A Life Through Food - Part 1Cook and food writer Simon Hopkinson shares his culinary life story with Sheila Dillon. In a food career spanning four decades he's been an influential chef, television cook and author of the "most useful cookbook of all time".
In this first of two special editions, Simon covers his early food memories to his time as a chef, at the height of his powers, in the kitchens of Hilaire and Bibendum restaurants.
Born in Lancashire, Simon Hopkinson was influenced by his parents home cooking and their regular trips to Bury Market. Early memories include the smell of his mother's jugged hare to the sight of black puddings and cheeses on busy market stalls.
In his teens he was committed to a future career in a restaurant kitchen and found work in the nearby Normandie restaurant under the gifted and demanding chef Yves Champea.
By 20 he'd opened his own restaurant and would soon receive awards and high praise from respected guides. In the years that followed he'd work as a restaurant inspector for Egon Ronay and then spend time as a private chef.
By the late 1980's he was back in the restaurant world and one of London's most influential chefs. Sheila Dillon finds out what motivated him throughout and why he was so confident that his life would be one spent in kitchens.Cook and food writer Simon Hopkinson shares his culinary life story with Sheila Dillon.Cook and food writer Simon Hopkinson shares his culinary life story with Sheila Dillon. In a food career spanning four decades he's been an influential chef, television cook and author of the "most useful cookbook of all time".
In this first of two special editions, Simon covers his early food memories to his time as a chef, at the height of his powers, in the kitchens of Hilaire and Bibendum restaurants.
Born in Lancashire, Simon Hopkinson was influenced by his parents home cooking and their regular trips to Bury Market. Early memories include the smell of his mother's jugged hare to the sight of black puddings and cheeses on busy market stalls.
In his teens he was committed to a future career in a restaurant kitchen and found work in the nearby Normandie restaurant under the gifted and demanding chef Yves Champea.
By 20 he'd opened his own restaurant and would soon receive awards and high praise from respected guides. In the years that followed he'd work as a restaurant inspector for Egon Ronay and then spend time as a private chef.
By the late 1980's he was back in the restaurant world and one of London's most influential chefs. Sheila Dillon finds out what motivated him throughout and why he was so confident that his life would be one spent in kitchens.Sun, 14 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01001445urn:bbc:podcast:b060p4rzhttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02tsm8h.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b060p4rzBarbecueFrom the 'slow and low' tradition of the American south to the village of Llantwit Major in South Wales, Dan Saladino explores the revival of one of the food world's most misunderstood words; barbecue.
A world away from the burnt burgers and charred sausages of the British barbecue experience, the 'barbecue belt' of the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee to Texas captures a story that goes beyond food. From politics and class to race and gender: barbecue has become a vital American institution.
A cooking technique requiring endless patience, effort and care, Dan Saladino talks to some of barbecue's biggest enthusiasts about how their modern approach is shaping our oldest form of cooking.
Producer: Anna Miles.Dan Saladino explores one of the food world's most misunderstood words - barbecue.From the 'slow and low' tradition of the American south to the village of Llantwit Major in South Wales, Dan Saladino explores the revival of one of the food world's most misunderstood words; barbecue.
A world away from the burnt burgers and charred sausages of the British barbecue experience, the 'barbecue belt' of the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee to Texas captures a story that goes beyond food. From politics and class to race and gender: barbecue has become a vital American institution.
A cooking technique requiring endless patience, effort and care, Dan Saladino talks to some of barbecue's biggest enthusiasts about how their modern approach is shaping our oldest form of cooking.
Producer: Anna Miles.Mon, 08 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01001703urn:bbc:podcast:b05xcv9phttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02tfgqy.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05xcv9pRick Stein - A Life Through Food (Part 2)In this second part of a two-programme special, Rick Stein continues in conversation with Sheila Dillon talking about how he was discovered for TV by Keith Floyd's Director, David Pritchard thirty years ago. Despite being naturally introverted his style as an 'ordinary guy' made him popular with the public - sometimes going wrong, the odd injury and working up a real sweat. The partnership with David has continued to the present day taking them travelling and filming around the world. His new series 'From Venice to Istanbul' will air later this year.
Rick talks about why their dynamic works well but also how a shared love of wine can also cause a few spats while filming. We hear from the fishermen, colleagues and his ex-wife and business partner about why he's been such a success. He talks about who in particular has inspired him while on his travels and what he hopes to do next.
The programme was recorded earlier this month in front of a studio audience as part of the Bristol Food Connections Festival.
Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon continues to talk to chef Rick Stein about his TV career and travels.In this second part of a two-programme special, Rick Stein continues in conversation with Sheila Dillon talking about how he was discovered for TV by Keith Floyd's Director, David Pritchard thirty years ago. Despite being naturally introverted his style as an 'ordinary guy' made him popular with the public - sometimes going wrong, the odd injury and working up a real sweat. The partnership with David has continued to the present day taking them travelling and filming around the world. His new series 'From Venice to Istanbul' will air later this year.
Rick talks about why their dynamic works well but also how a shared love of wine can also cause a few spats while filming. We hear from the fishermen, colleagues and his ex-wife and business partner about why he's been such a success. He talks about who in particular has inspired him while on his travels and what he hopes to do next.
The programme was recorded earlier this month in front of a studio audience as part of the Bristol Food Connections Festival.
Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 01 Jun 2015 01:00:00 +01002981urn:bbc:podcast:b05yx3byhttp://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02ss7bc.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05yx3bySalt, Pepper... and Seaweed?Highly regarded for its health benefits, people living by the shore have been eating seaweed for millennia. In Ireland, it was part of a prehistoric diet, and taken to ward off illness. In New Zealand, seaweed was a Maori delicacy. In Iceland, it was served daily, dried with fish, butter and bread. And seaweeds in many forms continue to be a major part of day to day cooking in China, Japan and Korea.
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, the harvesting of seaweed for food is worth upwards of 5 billion US dollars every year.
Yet many of us still associate the greens with Asian food, or experiments in haute cuisine.
But now a new generation of wild food entrepreneurs, are asking us to change our habits, and to rethink seaweed as something that can be enjoyed in every meal, for every occasion.
Sheila Dillon hears stories of finding food from the sea. People harvesting and cooking with seaweed. And as seaweed enters the mainstream, she hears how age old harvesting traditions, could be under threat.
This programme includes the fifth instalment from the Ark of Taste series.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Sheila Dillon asks if seaweed can become a kitchen cupboard staple.Highly regarded for its health benefits, people living by the shore have been eating seaweed for millennia. In Ireland, it was part of a prehistoric diet, and taken to ward off illness. In New Zealand, seaweed was a Maori delicacy. In Iceland, it was served daily, dried with fish, butter and bread. And seaweeds in many forms continue to be a major part of day to day cooking in China, Japan and Korea.
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, the harvesting of seaweed for food is worth upwards of 5 billion US dollars every year.
Yet many of us still associate the greens with Asian food, or experiments in haute cuisine.
But now a new generation of wild food entrepreneurs, are asking us to change our habits, and to rethink seaweed as something that can be enjoyed in every meal, for every occasion.
Sheila Dillon hears stories of finding food from the sea. People harvesting and cooking with seaweed. And as seaweed enters the mainstream, she hears how age old harvesting traditions, could be under threat.
This programme includes the fifth instalment from the Ark of Taste series.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 25 May 2015 01:00:00 +01001691http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150526-1730.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02sg2f9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05vsv6yThe Spice ExplosionThis is more than a story about chicken tikka masala. The UK's palette is changing with a demand for far more spice and pizzazz in our menus and larders. The UK currently imports almost double what it did in the year 2000. Much of that demand has been attributed to the UK's changing and diverse population - not only in home cooking but introducing recipes and dishes to a wider market. Travellers exploring exotic countries have also returned with a taste for spice blends. However spice is more than a simple ingredient - it can also be part of a story about identity, health, family and life.
Cyrus Todiwala travels to Easton in Bristol for the Spice Festival to meet those for whom spice is part of their lives. For him spices have been used for health as well as to bring flavour to his dishes while cooking in India and opening restaurants in the UK. He meets the man whose family fled Uganda while under the rule of Idi Amin, losing everything but their love and knowledge of spices led his father to source and share ingredients, eventually serving food and is now an 'Aladdin's cave' of exotic spices and ingredients for individuals and restaurants across the South West. He meets the chai wallahs who now sell on street corners of Bristol as well as Bombay and hears about the backpacker whose craving for the Indian snacks he tasted led him to set up his own business with over 300 products and blends.
Get some fire in your belly and hear how spice plays a role in commuity, culture and culinary delights.
Presented by Cyrus Todiwala and Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Cyrus Todiwala celebrates the role of spice in Britain's community, identity and taste.This is more than a story about chicken tikka masala. The UK's palette is changing with a demand for far more spice and pizzazz in our menus and larders. The UK currently imports almost double what it did in the year 2000. Much of that demand has been attributed to the UK's changing and diverse population - not only in home cooking but introducing recipes and dishes to a wider market. Travellers exploring exotic countries have also returned with a taste for spice blends. However spice is more than a simple ingredient - it can also be part of a story about identity, health, family and life.
Cyrus Todiwala travels to Easton in Bristol for the Spice Festival to meet those for whom spice is part of their lives. For him spices have been used for health as well as to bring flavour to his dishes while cooking in India and opening restaurants in the UK. He meets the man whose family fled Uganda while under the rule of Idi Amin, losing everything but their love and knowledge of spices led his father to source and share ingredients, eventually serving food and is now an 'Aladdin's cave' of exotic spices and ingredients for individuals and restaurants across the South West. He meets the chai wallahs who now sell on street corners of Bristol as well as Bombay and hears about the backpacker whose craving for the Indian snacks he tasted led him to set up his own business with over 300 products and blends.
Get some fire in your belly and hear how spice plays a role in commuity, culture and culinary delights.
Presented by Cyrus Todiwala and Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 18 May 2015 01:00:00 +01001700http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150517-1257.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02sg26h.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05v6glsJane Grigson - A Tribute: Part OneJane Grigson was a unique and pioneering voice in food writing; a self-taught cook whose books and journalism changed British food culture. Twenty-five years after her death, Sheila Dillon is joined by three special guests to explore her life, food and legacy.
This is part one of a special two-part edition of The Food Programme, recorded in front of an audience at Bristol Food Connections festival on the 4th of May.
On stage with Sheila is Geraldene Holt, food writer, author of 'Diary of a French Herb Garden' and Chair of the Jane Grigson Trust, the award-winning chef Shaun Hill who has cooked his way through Jane's books and also cooked for her, as well James Beard-nominated author, Telegraph food columnist and cook Diana Henry.
From 'The Fruit Book' to 'Good Things' to 'Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery', to her long running articles for The Observer, Sheila Dillon and her guests explore a voice that, despite gradually becoming less familiar, really does still matter today.
Readings by Kerry Elkins.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.25 years after Jane Grigson's death, Sheila Dillon and special guests discuss her legacy.Jane Grigson was a unique and pioneering voice in food writing; a self-taught cook whose books and journalism changed British food culture. Twenty-five years after her death, Sheila Dillon is joined by three special guests to explore her life, food and legacy.
This is part one of a special two-part edition of The Food Programme, recorded in front of an audience at Bristol Food Connections festival on the 4th of May.
On stage with Sheila is Geraldene Holt, food writer, author of 'Diary of a French Herb Garden' and Chair of the Jane Grigson Trust, the award-winning chef Shaun Hill who has cooked his way through Jane's books and also cooked for her, as well James Beard-nominated author, Telegraph food columnist and cook Diana Henry.
From 'The Fruit Book' to 'Good Things' to 'Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery', to her long running articles for The Observer, Sheila Dillon and her guests explore a voice that, despite gradually becoming less familiar, really does still matter today.
Readings by Kerry Elkins.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 10 May 2015 01:00:00 +01003121http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150511-1233.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02rts0v.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05tbsqdThe Legacy of the BBC Food and Farming AwardsSheila Dillon reports on how 15 years of the BBC Food and Farming Awards have captured the revolution in the streetfood business, witnessed the rise of a new generation of brewers and distillers, chronicled the rise of new types of food markets and marked major changes in the supermarket supply chain. Over the last decade and a half, through receiving thousands of nominations, the judges have been able to spot early on new ideas and changes in the UK's food culture. Sheila talks to judges past and present and former finalists and winners to describe the big shifts as seen through the awards.
Retail analyst and former judge Robert Clark and Policy Director of Sustain, Kath Dalmeny join Sheila to talk about key stories and innovative ideas they've encountered through the awards.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon looks back on 15 years of the BBC Food and Farming Awards.Sheila Dillon reports on how 15 years of the BBC Food and Farming Awards have captured the revolution in the streetfood business, witnessed the rise of a new generation of brewers and distillers, chronicled the rise of new types of food markets and marked major changes in the supermarket supply chain. Over the last decade and a half, through receiving thousands of nominations, the judges have been able to spot early on new ideas and changes in the UK's food culture. Sheila talks to judges past and present and former finalists and winners to describe the big shifts as seen through the awards.
Retail analyst and former judge Robert Clark and Policy Director of Sustain, Kath Dalmeny join Sheila to talk about key stories and innovative ideas they've encountered through the awards.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Rich Ward.Sun, 03 May 2015 01:00:00 +01001451http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150504-1223.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02rth1s.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05ss68gDiet and DiabetesIn the UK, there are 3.2 million people who are living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and a further 600,000 who have Type 2 but just don't know it yet. And those numbers continue to rise.
In the first few months of this year, the charity Diabetes UK received over 300 calls from newly diagnosed diabetics asking what they can and can't eat. It seems there's plenty of confusion about what foods need to be eaten to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and a misconception that a diabetes diagnosis means never eating sugar again.
This week, Felicity Evans is discussing some of the issues surrounding diet and diabetes. Her guests in the studio are; G.P, author and broadcaster, Dr Hilary Jones, dietician, Azmina Govindji, Simon O'Neill from Diabetes UK and Saturday Live's J.P Devlin, a Type 1 diabetic for more than 30 years.
They will offer practical tips on some of the best food choices, debunk a few myths and look at how it can change someone's life. Plus what does the latest research say about the type of diet diabetics should be eating.
Presented by Felicity Evans and produced in Bristol by Julia Hayball.Felicity Evans discusses the role of diet in diabetes.In the UK, there are 3.2 million people who are living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and a further 600,000 who have Type 2 but just don't know it yet. And those numbers continue to rise.
In the first few months of this year, the charity Diabetes UK received over 300 calls from newly diagnosed diabetics asking what they can and can't eat. It seems there's plenty of confusion about what foods need to be eaten to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and a misconception that a diabetes diagnosis means never eating sugar again.
This week, Felicity Evans is discussing some of the issues surrounding diet and diabetes. Her guests in the studio are; G.P, author and broadcaster, Dr Hilary Jones, dietician, Azmina Govindji, Simon O'Neill from Diabetes UK and Saturday Live's J.P Devlin, a Type 1 diabetic for more than 30 years.
They will offer practical tips on some of the best food choices, debunk a few myths and look at how it can change someone's life. Plus what does the latest research say about the type of diet diabetics should be eating.
Presented by Felicity Evans and produced in Bristol by Julia Hayball.Mon, 27 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +01001692http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150504-1200.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02rtbsp.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05rl3jbSchool Dinners - A Progress ReportTen years on from 'Jamie's School Dinners', Sheila Dillon is joined by children's food campaigner and former dinner lady Jeanette Orrey and Co-Author of the School Food Plan, Henry Dimbleby to look at the state of school food and discuss how new international relationships could make British school food better.
It's also 10 years since Sheila visited Sweden to see a free school meals system known for nutritious food, where students and teachers dine together. This spring, Tony Mulgrew, Catering manager at Ravenscliffe High School in Halifax and 2014 winner of Best Cook at the BBC Food and Farming Awards, set up an exchange with Lyndon McLeod, school chef in Gislavedin Sweden. Their aim? To bring together school chefs around the world and share ideas on improving school food online.
Our panel also hear from the Copenhagen 'House of Food', an innovative centre that's creating a school food culture in the city where there used to be none.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Can UK school food be made better by learning from abroad? Sheila Dillon investigates.Ten years on from 'Jamie's School Dinners', Sheila Dillon is joined by children's food campaigner and former dinner lady Jeanette Orrey and Co-Author of the School Food Plan, Henry Dimbleby to look at the state of school food and discuss how new international relationships could make British school food better.
It's also 10 years since Sheila visited Sweden to see a free school meals system known for nutritious food, where students and teachers dine together. This spring, Tony Mulgrew, Catering manager at Ravenscliffe High School in Halifax and 2014 winner of Best Cook at the BBC Food and Farming Awards, set up an exchange with Lyndon McLeod, school chef in Gislavedin Sweden. Their aim? To bring together school chefs around the world and share ideas on improving school food online.
Our panel also hear from the Copenhagen 'House of Food', an innovative centre that's creating a school food culture in the city where there used to be none.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 20 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +01001703http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150420-1530.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02rtlr4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05qygcjThe Ark of TasteDan Saladino meets the people working to save foods and flavours at risk of extinction. A global project called the Ark of Taste is now attempting to catalogue traditional ingredients in more than 100 countries.
It was started in the 1990s when a group of Italian Slow Food campaigners realised the flavour of a traditional street food snack had changed. The reason was that chefs could no longer source a local variety of pepper. It's led to thousands of people all over the world submitting their local traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables, rare breeds of livestock, cheeses and other products into the Ark.
As the leader of the project Serana Milano explains it's not just a list. Once an ingredient is placed in the catalogue work begins to find ways of saving it. An early example was a traditional cheese that was being made by one elderly producer. The Ark project led to a group of young producers learning how to make the cheese and so the recipe and technique has been kept alive.
Slow Food is now working with the European Commission, United Nations and Google to record the stories from the Ark of Taste and support projects to keep food diversity thriving around the world.
As Dan explains earlier examples of this work can be found across the UK going back more than a century. Writers including Florence White (Good Things In England), Dorothy Hartley (Food in England) and F. Marian McNeill (The Scots Kitchen) and researchers such as Minwell Tibbott (Welsh Folk Museum) made records of how we produced food and cooked in earlier times.
Presented and produced by Dan Saladino.Dan Saladino meets the people working to save foods and flavours at risk of extinction.Dan Saladino meets the people working to save foods and flavours at risk of extinction. A global project called the Ark of Taste is now attempting to catalogue traditional ingredients in more than 100 countries.
It was started in the 1990s when a group of Italian Slow Food campaigners realised the flavour of a traditional street food snack had changed. The reason was that chefs could no longer source a local variety of pepper. It's led to thousands of people all over the world submitting their local traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables, rare breeds of livestock, cheeses and other products into the Ark.
As the leader of the project Serana Milano explains it's not just a list. Once an ingredient is placed in the catalogue work begins to find ways of saving it. An early example was a traditional cheese that was being made by one elderly producer. The Ark project led to a group of young producers learning how to make the cheese and so the recipe and technique has been kept alive.
Slow Food is now working with the European Commission, United Nations and Google to record the stories from the Ark of Taste and support projects to keep food diversity thriving around the world.
As Dan explains earlier examples of this work can be found across the UK going back more than a century. Writers including Florence White (Good Things In England), Dorothy Hartley (Food in England) and F. Marian McNeill (The Scots Kitchen) and researchers such as Minwell Tibbott (Welsh Folk Museum) made records of how we produced food and cooked in earlier times.
Presented and produced by Dan Saladino.Mon, 13 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +01001696http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150414-1731.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02qg5d2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05q615rThe Joy of EggsWe were once told 'Go to work on an egg' but health warnings later saw us cut the number we eat. As the US Dietary Advisory Committee drops its advice on restricting egg consumption Sheila Dillon asks if we're falling back in love with the egg. Similar limits in the UK were lifted several years ago after evidence suggested their cholesterol did not have a significant effect on our blood cholesterol after all.
The amount we eat in the UK is now continuing to rise and the trend for keeping hens at home or in community projects has seen many people collecting their own too. Sheila Dillon asks if the humble egg is breaking free of a tarnished reputation and proving itself to be a versatile protein provider worth celebrating.
She hears reports from US where yolk-dodgers have demanded white-only 'heart healthy omelettes' and similar concoctions while in Silicon Valley a 'solution' to the egg has been created in a plant protein based alternative which they claim can mimic many of the egg's functions.
But back in the UK she finds a more celebratory atmosphere - a major retailer has begun supplying guaranteed double yolkers, Neil Rankin, founder of 'Bad Egg' Restaurant has kept his supplier in steady business while Genevieve Taylor found her hens laid so many she had to create new recipes to use them all.
Has the egg been given too much of a bad rap and is now breaking free and what does the future hold?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon asks if the humble egg is breaking free of a once-tarnished reputation.We were once told 'Go to work on an egg' but health warnings later saw us cut the number we eat. As the US Dietary Advisory Committee drops its advice on restricting egg consumption Sheila Dillon asks if we're falling back in love with the egg. Similar limits in the UK were lifted several years ago after evidence suggested their cholesterol did not have a significant effect on our blood cholesterol after all.
The amount we eat in the UK is now continuing to rise and the trend for keeping hens at home or in community projects has seen many people collecting their own too. Sheila Dillon asks if the humble egg is breaking free of a tarnished reputation and proving itself to be a versatile protein provider worth celebrating.
She hears reports from US where yolk-dodgers have demanded white-only 'heart healthy omelettes' and similar concoctions while in Silicon Valley a 'solution' to the egg has been created in a plant protein based alternative which they claim can mimic many of the egg's functions.
But back in the UK she finds a more celebratory atmosphere - a major retailer has begun supplying guaranteed double yolkers, Neil Rankin, founder of 'Bad Egg' Restaurant has kept his supplier in steady business while Genevieve Taylor found her hens laid so many she had to create new recipes to use them all.
Has the egg been given too much of a bad rap and is now breaking free and what does the future hold?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 06 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150405-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02qf6zs.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05pl2rsSweet BritainThe nutritional debate over sugar doesn't seem to be putting off a new generation of sweet makers in this country. Sweets sales seem stable, and new treats are being created and exported all over the world.
Sheila speaks to sweet makers Freya Sykes and Steven Bletsoe who are giving new life to a forgotten sweet and an old family recipe. She looks at the state of the confectionery market today with help from The Grocer magazine, and Jeremy Dee, Managing Director of family sweets firm Swizzels. And sweets historian Tim Richardson shares a bag of sweets with Sheila that cast light on a long history of sweetness in the UK.
Sheila asks what's still driving our love affair with sweeties - young and old, old and new.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Sheila Dillon asks what is still driving British people's love affair with sweets.The nutritional debate over sugar doesn't seem to be putting off a new generation of sweet makers in this country. Sweets sales seem stable, and new treats are being created and exported all over the world.
Sheila speaks to sweet makers Freya Sykes and Steven Bletsoe who are giving new life to a forgotten sweet and an old family recipe. She looks at the state of the confectionery market today with help from The Grocer magazine, and Jeremy Dee, Managing Director of family sweets firm Swizzels. And sweets historian Tim Richardson shares a bag of sweets with Sheila that cast light on a long history of sweetness in the UK.
Sheila asks what's still driving our love affair with sweeties - young and old, old and new.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 30 Mar 2015 01:00:00 +01001654http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150329-1255.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02qhkzw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05nsb49Food Waste PioneersDan Saladino hears three stories of how three very different individuals are reimagining food waste - solving problems, discovering flavours, and changing lives.
Chido Govera grew up in rural Zimbabwe, and was orphaned aged seven. She suffered abuse and struggled to find enough food for herself and her younger brother. But she found a way out of her situation - through the power of mushrooms - becoming an acknowledged specialist in growing edible fungi using food and agri-waste.
Chido is now teaching hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable people in Zimbabwe and beyond how to break the cycle of poverty and abuse, and delicious mushrooms are at the heart of it all.
Isabel Soares, an engineer from Portugal, set up Fruta Feia (or ugly fruit) to deliver perfectly good fruit and veg that were being discarded by the big retailers, to a willing community. Its community co-operative model is now wildly successful in Lisbon.
John Greany Sørensen is a scientist by day, chef by night, who in his lab at the University of Copenhagen stumbled accidentally on a way of creating something truly extraordinary from rejected vegetables - veg crystals.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Dan Saladino hears how three individuals are reimagining the potential of food waste.Dan Saladino hears three stories of how three very different individuals are reimagining food waste - solving problems, discovering flavours, and changing lives.
Chido Govera grew up in rural Zimbabwe, and was orphaned aged seven. She suffered abuse and struggled to find enough food for herself and her younger brother. But she found a way out of her situation - through the power of mushrooms - becoming an acknowledged specialist in growing edible fungi using food and agri-waste.
Chido is now teaching hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable people in Zimbabwe and beyond how to break the cycle of poverty and abuse, and delicious mushrooms are at the heart of it all.
Isabel Soares, an engineer from Portugal, set up Fruta Feia (or ugly fruit) to deliver perfectly good fruit and veg that were being discarded by the big retailers, to a willing community. Its community co-operative model is now wildly successful in Lisbon.
John Greany Sørensen is a scientist by day, chef by night, who in his lab at the University of Copenhagen stumbled accidentally on a way of creating something truly extraordinary from rejected vegetables - veg crystals.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 23 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +00001684http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150322-1245.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2y8k.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b05mpx0kBBC Food and Farming Awards 2015: The FinalistsIn a special edition Sheila Dillon reveals the finalists for this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards.At the beginning of the year Radio 4 listeners were asked to nominate their favourite producers, farmers and retailers. The response was huge, and from over four thousand nominations the judges have decided on their shortlist.The categories include Best Street Food or Takeaway, You and Your's Retailer of the Year, BBC Cook of the Year, Countryfile's Farming Hero and the Food Game Changer. On 30 April in Bristol at the annual Awards ceremony we'll find out which of these finalists go on to become the winners. Producer: Toby Field.Sheila Dillon reveals the finalists for the 2015 BBC Food and Farming Awards.In a special edition Sheila Dillon reveals the finalists for this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards.At the beginning of the year Radio 4 listeners were asked to nominate their favourite producers, farmers and retailers. The response was huge, and from over four thousand nominations the judges have decided on their shortlist.The categories include Best Street Food or Takeaway, You and Your's Retailer of the Year, BBC Cook of the Year, Countryfile's Farming Hero and the Food Game Changer. On 30 April in Bristol at the annual Awards ceremony we'll find out which of these finalists go on to become the winners. Producer: Toby Field.Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +00001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150315-1245.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2y9w.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b055dzbhReconsider the Oyster!Oysters are receiving renewed attention around the world, with new ideas for producing more, and eating more. Dan Saladino finds out what's driving this oyster enthusiasm.
As Drew Smith, author of Oyster: A World History explains, "the oyster is older than us, they're older than grass, they go back into pre-history and it's quite mind boggling how we've forgotten we really survive on this planet because of oysters".
From discoveries of middens (piles of oyster shells left by our ancestors) through to tales of the Victorian Britain's enormous appetite for the oyster, Dan hears the evidence of why we used to have a much more intimate relationship with the bivalve.
Overfishing, disease and parasites turned something that was abundant into a rarity a century ago, but now people around the world are making an effort to bring the oyster back into mainstream.
In Denmark, where there still is an abundance of oysters in their waters, a national park along the Wadden Sea, on the north west coast of Denmark has started to encourage people to wade in the water and gather as many oysters as they can carry and eat. It's hoped the experience will help people understand the oyster more and also fight to protect the environment it lives in.
Meanwhile on the British Isles the oyster is seeing interest from brewers and shellfish farmers alike, all convinced we need to reconsider how delicious and import the animal has been in our food culture.
In New York, the most ambitious oyster mission of all is underway, the "billion oyster project", an effort to return the oyster to New York City's harbour, once a breeding ground for trillions of oysters.
Listen to the programme and hear why these efforts are underway, and why a gold speckled jar of marmite could be the oysters' best friend.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Oysters are receiving renewed attention around the world. Dan Saladino explains why.Oysters are receiving renewed attention around the world, with new ideas for producing more, and eating more. Dan Saladino finds out what's driving this oyster enthusiasm.
As Drew Smith, author of Oyster: A World History explains, "the oyster is older than us, they're older than grass, they go back into pre-history and it's quite mind boggling how we've forgotten we really survive on this planet because of oysters".
From discoveries of middens (piles of oyster shells left by our ancestors) through to tales of the Victorian Britain's enormous appetite for the oyster, Dan hears the evidence of why we used to have a much more intimate relationship with the bivalve.
Overfishing, disease and parasites turned something that was abundant into a rarity a century ago, but now people around the world are making an effort to bring the oyster back into mainstream.
In Denmark, where there still is an abundance of oysters in their waters, a national park along the Wadden Sea, on the north west coast of Denmark has started to encourage people to wade in the water and gather as many oysters as they can carry and eat. It's hoped the experience will help people understand the oyster more and also fight to protect the environment it lives in.
Meanwhile on the British Isles the oyster is seeing interest from brewers and shellfish farmers alike, all convinced we need to reconsider how delicious and import the animal has been in our food culture.
In New York, the most ambitious oyster mission of all is underway, the "billion oyster project", an effort to return the oyster to New York City's harbour, once a breeding ground for trillions of oysters.
Listen to the programme and hear why these efforts are underway, and why a gold speckled jar of marmite could be the oysters' best friend.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Mon, 09 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +00001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150310-1231.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ycr.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b054pbb5The 'Clean Label' QuestionFor over a decade consumers have become finely attuned to E-numbers, flavourings, colourings and additives in our food. Food manufacturers have changed the way they do things in pursuit of 'clean label' - a more natural sounding ingredients list. But do we fully understand the new processes involved, the terms used and how safe they really are?
Sheila Dillon talks to Joanna Blythman, in her first broadcast interview about her new book 'Swallow This' in which she investigates some of the processes involved in making products taste and look good and last longer and her concerns about the ingredients and the secrecy that often surrounds them. We hear reports from food development teams about how they find new ways to produce food and ask the regulators if we can be sure they're safe.
Photo by Alan Peebles.Sheila Dillon asks how food manufacturing has changed to create more 'natural' ingredientsFor over a decade consumers have become finely attuned to E-numbers, flavourings, colourings and additives in our food. Food manufacturers have changed the way they do things in pursuit of 'clean label' - a more natural sounding ingredients list. But do we fully understand the new processes involved, the terms used and how safe they really are?
Sheila Dillon talks to Joanna Blythman, in her first broadcast interview about her new book 'Swallow This' in which she investigates some of the processes involved in making products taste and look good and last longer and her concerns about the ingredients and the secrecy that often surrounds them. We hear reports from food development teams about how they find new ways to produce food and ask the regulators if we can be sure they're safe.
Photo by Alan Peebles.Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +00001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150301-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ydv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b053zsn1The Clink - RevisitedSheila goes behind bars to visit the most popular restaurant in Cardiff, The Clink, which is run by prisoners.
Ten years ago Al Crisci was a winner at the BBC Food and Farming Awards for his work at High Down prison. At the ceremony he announced that he was going to open a restaurant in the prison which would be run by inmates and would serve high end food to the paying public. Now there are currently three prison restaurants across the country, with a fourth about to open in HMP Styal.
Sheila visits The Clink Restaurant on the site of HMP Cardiff which has recently been voted the top restaurant in the city by Tripadvisor. She speaks with inmates and ex-prisoners about working in a restaurant and whether this model can help reduce prison re-offender rates.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.A restaurant run by prisoners becomes the most popular in Cardiff.Sheila goes behind bars to visit the most popular restaurant in Cardiff, The Clink, which is run by prisoners.
Ten years ago Al Crisci was a winner at the BBC Food and Farming Awards for his work at High Down prison. At the ceremony he announced that he was going to open a restaurant in the prison which would be run by inmates and would serve high end food to the paying public. Now there are currently three prison restaurants across the country, with a fourth about to open in HMP Styal.
Sheila visits The Clink Restaurant on the site of HMP Cardiff which has recently been voted the top restaurant in the city by Tripadvisor. She speaks with inmates and ex-prisoners about working in a restaurant and whether this model can help reduce prison re-offender rates.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +00001651http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150222-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yg1.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0532g5wThe Secret FormulaWith one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, many parents in the UK feed their babies formula milk. But what's actually in it?
Sheila Dillon discovers why it's an industry steeped in science and secrecy as well as controversy.
Journalist Ella McSweeney reports from a lab to explain how its made and why formula is at the heart of Ireland's ambition to become a powerful global food player.
Producer: Ruth Sanderson.Sheila Dillon lifts the lid on powdered baby milk.With one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, many parents in the UK feed their babies formula milk. But what's actually in it?
Sheila Dillon discovers why it's an industry steeped in science and secrecy as well as controversy.
Journalist Ella McSweeney reports from a lab to explain how its made and why formula is at the heart of Ireland's ambition to become a powerful global food player.
Producer: Ruth Sanderson.Mon, 26 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +00001684http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150220-1454.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yg7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0505l3fSoup and the BritishFrom a hearty warming bowl of chunky soup on a frosty Winter's day to the smooth comfort of home-made chicken soup when you're ill, the British, it seems, love soup. We spend £762million a year and the market's growing with trendy exotic flavours spicing up the choice on offer new gadgets to help make the dish and slimmers replacing juicing with 'souping', it's gaining pace.
Tim Hayward is passionate that this dish is more than simply an appetiser and keen to stamp out memories of wishy-washy, tasteless broths. Past horrors had made it a laughing stock with 'Brown Windsor Soup' being the punchline of many jokes in the 50s and symbolic of austerity and low-quality catering. He searches out the roots of this much-mocked comic dish, alongside Turtle and Bombay duck varieties, and seeks to clear its name.
Along the way he meets the man who made millions and revolutionised the market with fresh soups which are stealing our hearts from the old tins, gets top tips from the 'Soupsayer' and spins the colour wheel at the pub whose soup is always a mystery but 'never vegetarian'.
Presented by Tim Hayward.
Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Tim Hayward asks why the British love soup and searches for the origins of brown Windsor.From a hearty warming bowl of chunky soup on a frosty Winter's day to the smooth comfort of home-made chicken soup when you're ill, the British, it seems, love soup. We spend £762million a year and the market's growing with trendy exotic flavours spicing up the choice on offer new gadgets to help make the dish and slimmers replacing juicing with 'souping', it's gaining pace.
Tim Hayward is passionate that this dish is more than simply an appetiser and keen to stamp out memories of wishy-washy, tasteless broths. Past horrors had made it a laughing stock with 'Brown Windsor Soup' being the punchline of many jokes in the 50s and symbolic of austerity and low-quality catering. He searches out the roots of this much-mocked comic dish, alongside Turtle and Bombay duck varieties, and seeks to clear its name.
Along the way he meets the man who made millions and revolutionised the market with fresh soups which are stealing our hearts from the old tins, gets top tips from the 'Soupsayer' and spins the colour wheel at the pub whose soup is always a mystery but 'never vegetarian'.
Presented by Tim Hayward.
Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.Mon, 16 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +00001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150215-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ygh.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0520t3dHow Britain fell in love with the microwaveIn a recent survey, the microwave was voted the kitchen gadget that people couldn't live without. 83% of all households in the UK have a microwave, yet many say they only use this hi tech device for re heating food. Sheila Dillon discovers how influences the way we eat, live and cook.
The editor of BBC Good Food magazine Gillian Carter believes that there is an emerging sector who are using it to make full, nutritious dinners using new recipes tailored to their microwave.
Microwaves were patented 60 years ago and hailed as the future of cookery. Helen Peavitt from the Science Museum in London explains how they went from hi tech war weapon to domestic every day item. Meanwhile self-proclaimed microwave hater food journalist Andrew Webb challenges himself to cook a full three course dinner entirely in the microwave.
Presenter Sheila Dillon. Producer Ruth Sanderson.The UK's guilty secret? Sheila Dillon charts the 60-year shift from pot to ping.In a recent survey, the microwave was voted the kitchen gadget that people couldn't live without. 83% of all households in the UK have a microwave, yet many say they only use this hi tech device for re heating food. Sheila Dillon discovers how influences the way we eat, live and cook.
The editor of BBC Good Food magazine Gillian Carter believes that there is an emerging sector who are using it to make full, nutritious dinners using new recipes tailored to their microwave.
Microwaves were patented 60 years ago and hailed as the future of cookery. Helen Peavitt from the Science Museum in London explains how they went from hi tech war weapon to domestic every day item. Meanwhile self-proclaimed microwave hater food journalist Andrew Webb challenges himself to cook a full three course dinner entirely in the microwave.
Presenter Sheila Dillon. Producer Ruth Sanderson.Mon, 09 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +00001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150209-1048.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ygz.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b051r7j0Christmas, food and being far from homeAs we prepare to tuck into our festive family meal, Sheila Dillon uncovers the food stories of those who won't be home for Christmas with the help of food writer Joe Warwick.Sheila Dillon uncovers the food stories of those away from home on Christmas.As we prepare to tuck into our festive family meal, Sheila Dillon uncovers the food stories of those who won't be home for Christmas with the help of food writer Joe Warwick.Mon, 22 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +00001671http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150202-0952.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yhq.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04vd69hThe Grain DivideWheat has, since the dawn of agriculture, been especially treasured amongst all of the food crops, and is now the most widely cultivated food plant on the planet. However, the relationship between humans and wheat has changed a great deal in recent times.
With a high-profile documentary film, 'The Grain Divide', about to go on global release, Dan Saladino discovers a worldwide movement of farmers, bakers and breeders rethinking and rediscovering wheat - from long-lost varieties and flavours to re-imagining the future of our relationship with this grain.
The film's Director, JD McLelland, explains how his film aims to change perceptions of wheat - and why this matters. Dan also talks to one of the stars of the film, chef Dan Barber - who's breeding a new variety of wheat named Barber Wheat, and is leading the charge to look again at the taste of wheat.
On the archipelago of Svalbard, far north of the northernmost point of mainland Norway, is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Tunneled into the permafrost there lies a store of seeds like no other - which serves as a 'backup' facility, with samples from every country in the world.
It houses the largest collection of wheat varieties on the planet. Dr Cary Fowler, who helped to set up the seed vault - reveals about the role wheat's past has to play in our future.
Dan also meets Andy Forbes from Brockwell Bake, sourdough specialist Vanessa Kimbell and author of "Our Daily Bread - A History of the Cereals" - Professor Åsmund Bjørnstad... as well as Gotland farmer Curt Niklasson, whose life has been changed forever by the contents of a wooden treasure chest.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Dan Saladino discovers a global movement rethinking our most widely-grown food crop, wheatWheat has, since the dawn of agriculture, been especially treasured amongst all of the food crops, and is now the most widely cultivated food plant on the planet. However, the relationship between humans and wheat has changed a great deal in recent times.
With a high-profile documentary film, 'The Grain Divide', about to go on global release, Dan Saladino discovers a worldwide movement of farmers, bakers and breeders rethinking and rediscovering wheat - from long-lost varieties and flavours to re-imagining the future of our relationship with this grain.
The film's Director, JD McLelland, explains how his film aims to change perceptions of wheat - and why this matters. Dan also talks to one of the stars of the film, chef Dan Barber - who's breeding a new variety of wheat named Barber Wheat, and is leading the charge to look again at the taste of wheat.
On the archipelago of Svalbard, far north of the northernmost point of mainland Norway, is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Tunneled into the permafrost there lies a store of seeds like no other - which serves as a 'backup' facility, with samples from every country in the world.
It houses the largest collection of wheat varieties on the planet. Dr Cary Fowler, who helped to set up the seed vault - reveals about the role wheat's past has to play in our future.
Dan also meets Andy Forbes from Brockwell Bake, sourdough specialist Vanessa Kimbell and author of "Our Daily Bread - A History of the Cereals" - Professor Åsmund Bjørnstad... as well as Gotland farmer Curt Niklasson, whose life has been changed forever by the contents of a wooden treasure chest.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +00001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150201-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yj7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b050yh95The Future of Food MarketsFood markets have been the heart of our towns and cities for thousands of years. Now, with financial pressure on local authorities, and growing competition from a supermarkets price war, Sheila Dillon and guests discuss what a market needs to survive in 2015.
Sheila is joined by award winning markets organiser Malcolm Veigas, Carolyn Steel architect and author of 'Hungry City' and market trader and BBC Food and Farming Awards 2015 judge in the Best Market category, Peter Gott.
She also hears from a 'monstrously huge' and revolutionary new market development in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, from one of the UK's oldest established markets in Leicester and from the organiser of Iceland's first ever farmers market.
Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Sheila Dillon and guests discuss what a food market needs for success in 2015.Food markets have been the heart of our towns and cities for thousands of years. Now, with financial pressure on local authorities, and growing competition from a supermarkets price war, Sheila Dillon and guests discuss what a market needs to survive in 2015.
Sheila is joined by award winning markets organiser Malcolm Veigas, Carolyn Steel architect and author of 'Hungry City' and market trader and BBC Food and Farming Awards 2015 judge in the Best Market category, Peter Gott.
She also hears from a 'monstrously huge' and revolutionary new market development in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, from one of the UK's oldest established markets in Leicester and from the organiser of Iceland's first ever farmers market.
Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Mon, 19 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +00001655http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150118-1254.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yjr.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04y9nl82015 Food and Farming Awards LaunchSheila Dillon unveils a new team of judges for the 2015 BBC Food and Farming Awards, including Giorgio Locatelli, Diana Henry and Cyrus Todiwala.
Sheila catches up with previous nominees and winners, looks ahead to the big food stories of the coming year, and explains how you can send in your nominations.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon and 2015's judging team open nominations for the BBC Food and Farming AwardsSheila Dillon unveils a new team of judges for the 2015 BBC Food and Farming Awards, including Giorgio Locatelli, Diana Henry and Cyrus Todiwala.
Sheila catches up with previous nominees and winners, looks ahead to the big food stories of the coming year, and explains how you can send in your nominations.
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +00001671http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150111-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yk7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04xmqd8Your food science questions for Harold McGeeSheila Dillon is joined by Harold McGee to answer your food science questions.
Harold McGee is fascinated by what we are actually doing to our food when we prepare and cook it. His research and writing have inspired many chefs, including Heston Blumenthal. Today he answers questions from listeners, food writers and chefs about the chemistry of food and cooking.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sheila Dillon is joined by Harold McGee to answer listeners' food queries.Sheila Dillon is joined by Harold McGee to answer your food science questions.
Harold McGee is fascinated by what we are actually doing to our food when we prepare and cook it. His research and writing have inspired many chefs, including Heston Blumenthal. Today he answers questions from listeners, food writers and chefs about the chemistry of food and cooking.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +00001501http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20150104-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ykz.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04ws12fRedemption through FoodRedemption through food. Sheila Dillon brings you her selection of inspirational stories from The Food Programme in 2014.
Ken Hom tells Sheila how food changed his life and his fortunes. Claudia Roden explains how food brought the Egyptian diaspora together. And we hear from a former drug addict who found a new life growing salad.
Presented by Sheila Dillon produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sheila Dillon presents inspirational stories from The Food Programme in 2014.Redemption through food. Sheila Dillon brings you her selection of inspirational stories from The Food Programme in 2014.
Ken Hom tells Sheila how food changed his life and his fortunes. Claudia Roden explains how food brought the Egyptian diaspora together. And we hear from a former drug addict who found a new life growing salad.
Presented by Sheila Dillon produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +00001648http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141228-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ym2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04vjz0dFeeding BritainFeeding Britain - The story of one shop in South Yorkshire which is changing the way we think about food waste and food poverty. A year ago the Community Shop opened in Goldthorpe. It takes food which would otherwise have gone to landfill and sells it at a heavily discounted price.
Now the model is expanding. This Monday, 15th December, a new community shop is opening in Lambeth, South London. The aim is for dozens of these stores to be across the country.
This week's Food Poverty Inquiry 'Feeding Britain' recommended more of these social supermarkets. But some people do not believe that the problem of food waste should solve the problem of food poverty.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.The story of one shop which is changing the way we think about food waste and food povertyFeeding Britain - The story of one shop in South Yorkshire which is changing the way we think about food waste and food poverty. A year ago the Community Shop opened in Goldthorpe. It takes food which would otherwise have gone to landfill and sells it at a heavily discounted price.
Now the model is expanding. This Monday, 15th December, a new community shop is opening in Lambeth, South London. The aim is for dozens of these stores to be across the country.
This week's Food Poverty Inquiry 'Feeding Britain' recommended more of these social supermarkets. But some people do not believe that the problem of food waste should solve the problem of food poverty.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 15 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +00001657http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141214-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ymv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04v2lv9Cookbooks of 2014A review of cookbooks and food writing of 2014. Sheila Dillon is joined to discuss the year in books by Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly, investigative journalist Joanna Blythman and blogger Alex Ryder aka Gingey Bites.
Sheila also hears from publisher Sarah Lavelle about this year's sales. And cookery writer Diana Henry talks about her addiction to cookbooks.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon presents a review of the most exciting cookbooks of 2014.A review of cookbooks and food writing of 2014. Sheila Dillon is joined to discuss the year in books by Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly, investigative journalist Joanna Blythman and blogger Alex Ryder aka Gingey Bites.
Sheila also hears from publisher Sarah Lavelle about this year's sales. And cookery writer Diana Henry talks about her addiction to cookbooks.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 08 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +00001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141207-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ynb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04tckjhA Bronx Food TaleNew York's south Bronx is still one of the city's most deprived areas; low incomes, unemployment and health problems abound. In the 1970's it captured headlines for a "burn for hate" policy that appeared to have taken hold; abandoned (and sometimes occupied) buildings were set on fire and raised to the ground. Entire blocks were destroyed giving the borough, in some eyes, the look of a war zone.
In recent years the changes that have unfolded in the Bronx have been significant. In part the progress made, making the area more desirable to live in, and home to a more united community, can be put down to food. New York City has had a network of public gardens where food can be grown dating back to the 1880's but in recent years, this resource has taken on new meaning, and in the Bronx it's changed lives.
Sheila Dillon meets Karen Washington a woman who's using food and farming to transform her part of the Bronx through "the Garden of Happiness", a three-quarter acre abandoned lot that she turned into an "urban farm" back in 1988. It's gone from strength to strength and this garden, in which Mexicans, African-American, Asian and Caribbean neighbours come together to grow food, has changed a part of the south Bronx for good.
In the programme Karen Washington explains why the garden has not only become a valuable source of fresh food but has also helped solve many of the social issues in the neighbourhood.
Sheila also speaks to Marcel Van-Ooyen, head of Grow NYC, a part of the Mayor's office in New York, to hear how the city's gardens have also become part of an anti-obesity strategy.
Producer: Dan Saladino.In New York's south Bronx, Sheila Dillon finds out how food is transforming communities.New York's south Bronx is still one of the city's most deprived areas; low incomes, unemployment and health problems abound. In the 1970's it captured headlines for a "burn for hate" policy that appeared to have taken hold; abandoned (and sometimes occupied) buildings were set on fire and raised to the ground. Entire blocks were destroyed giving the borough, in some eyes, the look of a war zone.
In recent years the changes that have unfolded in the Bronx have been significant. In part the progress made, making the area more desirable to live in, and home to a more united community, can be put down to food. New York City has had a network of public gardens where food can be grown dating back to the 1880's but in recent years, this resource has taken on new meaning, and in the Bronx it's changed lives.
Sheila Dillon meets Karen Washington a woman who's using food and farming to transform her part of the Bronx through "the Garden of Happiness", a three-quarter acre abandoned lot that she turned into an "urban farm" back in 1988. It's gone from strength to strength and this garden, in which Mexicans, African-American, Asian and Caribbean neighbours come together to grow food, has changed a part of the south Bronx for good.
In the programme Karen Washington explains why the garden has not only become a valuable source of fresh food but has also helped solve many of the social issues in the neighbourhood.
Sheila also speaks to Marcel Van-Ooyen, head of Grow NYC, a part of the Mayor's office in New York, to hear how the city's gardens have also become part of an anti-obesity strategy.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +00001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141130-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yp0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04sthgqGet Ahead Treats for ChristmasSheila Dillon invites Diana Henry to provide a guide to an Eastern Christmas. With experts Bee Wilson and Sally Butcher on hand, Diana looks at 'get ahead' treats, and finds out why certain foods from the east feature so prominently at Christmas.
They also explore some of the symbolism of 'exotic' food stuffs like dates and pomegranates that have become so much part and parcel of the Christmas feast. All of the recipes are featured on The Food Programme website.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Diana Henry provides a guide to an Eastern Christmas with Bee Wilson and Sally Butcher.Sheila Dillon invites Diana Henry to provide a guide to an Eastern Christmas. With experts Bee Wilson and Sally Butcher on hand, Diana looks at 'get ahead' treats, and finds out why certain foods from the east feature so prominently at Christmas.
They also explore some of the symbolism of 'exotic' food stuffs like dates and pomegranates that have become so much part and parcel of the Christmas feast. All of the recipes are featured on The Food Programme website.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +00001675http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141124-1255.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yph.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04pr6x4Terra MadreFood stories from across the world. Dan Saladino travels to Terra Madre 2014 in Turin. It is a global movement of farmers and food producers which attracts the attention of world leaders - from Michelle Obama to Pope Francis.
Last month, 250,000 people from 160 countries gathered at a former Olympic venue in Turin to taste and celebrate diverse foods and to discuss and debate the issues affecting the world's food.
Jamie Oliver shows Dan around the Ark of Taste - a collection of 2,000 traditional foods which are in danger of extinction. Edie Mukiibi, Vice President of Slow Food International, explains the impact of the project 10,000 Food Gardens in Africa.
Northern Irish chef Paula McIntyre cooks with chefs from Uganda. Dr Geoff Andrews from The Open University explains the political roots of Terra Madre. And Richard McCarthy tells Dan about projects from Slow Food USA - including 'nose-to-tailgating'.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Terra Madre: Bringing the world together through food. Presented by Dan Saladino.Food stories from across the world. Dan Saladino travels to Terra Madre 2014 in Turin. It is a global movement of farmers and food producers which attracts the attention of world leaders - from Michelle Obama to Pope Francis.
Last month, 250,000 people from 160 countries gathered at a former Olympic venue in Turin to taste and celebrate diverse foods and to discuss and debate the issues affecting the world's food.
Jamie Oliver shows Dan around the Ark of Taste - a collection of 2,000 traditional foods which are in danger of extinction. Edie Mukiibi, Vice President of Slow Food International, explains the impact of the project 10,000 Food Gardens in Africa.
Northern Irish chef Paula McIntyre cooks with chefs from Uganda. Dr Geoff Andrews from The Open University explains the political roots of Terra Madre. And Richard McCarthy tells Dan about projects from Slow Food USA - including 'nose-to-tailgating'.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +00001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141116-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ypy.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04p5m1mMushroomsFrom the king oyster to the not-so-humble button, Dan Saladino discovers a world of mushrooms, grown for food - and follows the spores to reveal the secrets of mycelium, hunts for the perfect mushroom sandwich, and finds that there is one species in particular that dominates the supermarkets and our kitchens.
With more types of cultivated mushroom available in the UK now than there has ever been, Dan hears about Korean mushrooms grown in jars, visits Europe's biggest mushroom farm, and tracks down the biggest global company in the ultra-specialised world of spawn production.
Dan also encounters a photographer whose street-food mushroom project inspired him to create a new type of imagery - the 'fungi luminogram', gets insights from Eugenia Bone - author of 'Mycophilia' - and Paul Stamets, legendary mycologist and advocate of mycelium. There will also be plenty of butter and garlic.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Dan Saladino discovers a mysterious, surprising and delicious world of edible mushrooms.From the king oyster to the not-so-humble button, Dan Saladino discovers a world of mushrooms, grown for food - and follows the spores to reveal the secrets of mycelium, hunts for the perfect mushroom sandwich, and finds that there is one species in particular that dominates the supermarkets and our kitchens.
With more types of cultivated mushroom available in the UK now than there has ever been, Dan hears about Korean mushrooms grown in jars, visits Europe's biggest mushroom farm, and tracks down the biggest global company in the ultra-specialised world of spawn production.
Dan also encounters a photographer whose street-food mushroom project inspired him to create a new type of imagery - the 'fungi luminogram', gets insights from Eugenia Bone - author of 'Mycophilia' - and Paul Stamets, legendary mycologist and advocate of mycelium. There will also be plenty of butter and garlic.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +00001700http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141110-1141.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yqj.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04n2hv2Tom JaineSheila Dillon talks to the publisher, writer and restaurateur Tom Jaine about his life. From his early days at 'The Hole in the Wall' in Bath to custody of his beloved 'Prospect Books' ("every book a brick in the wall of knowledge") and beyond. With contributions from Rick Stein, Joyce Molyneux and Tim Hayward.
Producer: Sarah Langan
Photograph by Toby Coulson.Sheila Dillon talks to the publisher, writer and restaurateur Tom Jaine about his life.Sheila Dillon talks to the publisher, writer and restaurateur Tom Jaine about his life. From his early days at 'The Hole in the Wall' in Bath to custody of his beloved 'Prospect Books' ("every book a brick in the wall of knowledge") and beyond. With contributions from Rick Stein, Joyce Molyneux and Tim Hayward.
Producer: Sarah Langan
Photograph by Toby Coulson.Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +00001637http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141102-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yr2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04nqv6kWomen in the KitchenSheila Dillon looks at the state of play for female chefs in the professional kitchen. She talks to Alice Waters, Sally Clarke, Margot Henderson and Mary-Ellen McTague. We also hear from Joyce Molyneux, who was one of the female exceptions in the professional kitchen in post war Britain . In light of comments from some well known male chefs, most recently Tom Kerridge, Sheila asks if the kitchen as a working environment has really changed that much over the last few decades and whether prejudice and a macho culture deters up and coming talent.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sheila Dillon looks at the state of play for female chefs in the professional kitchen.Sheila Dillon looks at the state of play for female chefs in the professional kitchen. She talks to Alice Waters, Sally Clarke, Margot Henderson and Mary-Ellen McTague. We also hear from Joyce Molyneux, who was one of the female exceptions in the professional kitchen in post war Britain . In light of comments from some well known male chefs, most recently Tom Kerridge, Sheila asks if the kitchen as a working environment has really changed that much over the last few decades and whether prejudice and a macho culture deters up and coming talent.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +00001431http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141026-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yrl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04mh757A Life through Food: Harold McGeeHarold McGee, the man who helped explain the science of the kitchen, tells his food story. His book, published in 1984, On Food and Cooking, has influenced home cooks as well as a new generation of experimental chefs.
It's seen as an important book because it made the science of food accessible and understandable to domestic cooks and chefs. It explains what happens to the protein molecules in eggs when they're whisked and what unfolds in the fibres of meat when heated.
However, in the programme Harold McGee argues that his book revived kitchen science rather than introduced it. He cites figures including the 18th century Lord Rumford (an early experimenter in slow cooking) and Nicholas Kurti (a Hungarian born Oxford physicist) as the true pioneers of a more scientific approach to cooking.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Harold McGee, the man who helped explain the science of the kitchen, tells his food story.Harold McGee, the man who helped explain the science of the kitchen, tells his food story. His book, published in 1984, On Food and Cooking, has influenced home cooks as well as a new generation of experimental chefs.
It's seen as an important book because it made the science of food accessible and understandable to domestic cooks and chefs. It explains what happens to the protein molecules in eggs when they're whisked and what unfolds in the fibres of meat when heated.
However, in the programme Harold McGee argues that his book revived kitchen science rather than introduced it. He cites figures including the 18th century Lord Rumford (an early experimenter in slow cooking) and Nicholas Kurti (a Hungarian born Oxford physicist) as the true pioneers of a more scientific approach to cooking.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:00:00 +01001655http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141021-1027.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ys6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04l065dIn a Stew about RabbitsSheila Dillon discovers the delights of eating rabbit meat, but also why some people think it is unjustifiable.
Dil Peeling from Compassion in World Farming gives details on their latest report into conditions on rabbit farms on the continent. We hear from the Knowle West Media Centre about the culture of catching wild rabbits. And Sheila hears from Peter Rigby, a young farmer near Chippenham who is going to start a free range rabbit farm.
Dan Saladino also spends a morning cooking with chefs Barny Haughton and Oliver Pratt to find out how to cook it, and just how delicious the meat can be.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon explores rabbit meat. Is it delicious or unjustifiable?Sheila Dillon discovers the delights of eating rabbit meat, but also why some people think it is unjustifiable.
Dil Peeling from Compassion in World Farming gives details on their latest report into conditions on rabbit farms on the continent. We hear from the Knowle West Media Centre about the culture of catching wild rabbits. And Sheila hears from Peter Rigby, a young farmer near Chippenham who is going to start a free range rabbit farm.
Dan Saladino also spends a morning cooking with chefs Barny Haughton and Oliver Pratt to find out how to cook it, and just how delicious the meat can be.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:00:00 +01001675http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141019-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yt4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04lpd9rMouthwatering MuttonMutton tastier than lamb - why we should all demand to eat older meat. Dan Saladino uncovers the mystery of why we no longer eat mutton, despite it being a favoured meat of the Victorians. He hears about the efforts of Bob Kennard, author of a new book, Much Ado About Mutton, who's campaigning for good quality mutton to return to our menus.
Chefs Fergus Henderson and Cyrus Todiwala are both lyrical on the virtues of mutton and give tips on the best way to cook it. And Dan visits the Thomas family sheep farm deep in the Welsh hills to understand why our lack of interest in mutton has changed their way of life.
The programme also hears of a mutton story from America, the Moonlite BBQ in Kentucky, a destination restaurant that draws people from all over the US in search of their slow cooked mutton. It was also a destination for artisan mutton producer Tony Davies who travelled to the restaurant to see if you could provide an answer to mutton's woes in the UK. As he explains in the programme, he arrived at a dramatic conclusion.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.
Photo image copyright - Bob Kennard.
The audio of the Moonlite BBQ restaurant kindly provided by Mark Dolan of www.bbqpilgrim.com and the American Southern Foodways Alliance www.southernfoodways.org.Dan Saladino explores why we should all be demanding to eat older meat.Mutton tastier than lamb - why we should all demand to eat older meat. Dan Saladino uncovers the mystery of why we no longer eat mutton, despite it being a favoured meat of the Victorians. He hears about the efforts of Bob Kennard, author of a new book, Much Ado About Mutton, who's campaigning for good quality mutton to return to our menus.
Chefs Fergus Henderson and Cyrus Todiwala are both lyrical on the virtues of mutton and give tips on the best way to cook it. And Dan visits the Thomas family sheep farm deep in the Welsh hills to understand why our lack of interest in mutton has changed their way of life.
The programme also hears of a mutton story from America, the Moonlite BBQ in Kentucky, a destination restaurant that draws people from all over the US in search of their slow cooked mutton. It was also a destination for artisan mutton producer Tony Davies who travelled to the restaurant to see if you could provide an answer to mutton's woes in the UK. As he explains in the programme, he arrived at a dramatic conclusion.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.
Photo image copyright - Bob Kennard.
The audio of the Moonlite BBQ restaurant kindly provided by Mark Dolan of www.bbqpilgrim.com and the American Southern Foodways Alliance www.southernfoodways.org.Sun, 05 Oct 2014 01:00:00 +01001668http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20141005-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ytm.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04k7g5xBees and the City - the Urban Honey StoryAs bee populations fall, Sheila Dillon asks if some salvation may be found in the mean streets of our cities. With a report from New York where bee keeping was actually illegal for a long time but where the honey festival now thrives. In London a young brewer tells us how she combined her love of brewing and beekeeping to produce an award winning honey ale. In Copenhagen we hear from a project with hives across the city - each producing its own distinctive taste and flavour, determined by the source of the nectar. Even the offices are alive with the hum of bees as Dan Saladino hears how the venture enlists the help of homeless people and asylum seekers, giving them confidence and and training in all aspects of beekeeping, honey production and sales. Meanwhile in Bristol are trying to find out if urban habitats really can provide a stable environment for our bees to flourish - can our overlooked scruffy verges and car parks contribute to the solution to one of our biggest ecological threats?
Produced by Sarah Langan.As bee populations fall, Sheila Dillon asks if salvation may be found in city streets.As bee populations fall, Sheila Dillon asks if some salvation may be found in the mean streets of our cities. With a report from New York where bee keeping was actually illegal for a long time but where the honey festival now thrives. In London a young brewer tells us how she combined her love of brewing and beekeeping to produce an award winning honey ale. In Copenhagen we hear from a project with hives across the city - each producing its own distinctive taste and flavour, determined by the source of the nectar. Even the offices are alive with the hum of bees as Dan Saladino hears how the venture enlists the help of homeless people and asylum seekers, giving them confidence and and training in all aspects of beekeeping, honey production and sales. Meanwhile in Bristol are trying to find out if urban habitats really can provide a stable environment for our bees to flourish - can our overlooked scruffy verges and car parks contribute to the solution to one of our biggest ecological threats?
Produced by Sarah Langan.Mon, 29 Sep 2014 01:00:00 +01001619http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140928-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yv8.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04jhmhhFood Is MADFrom a lesson in "guerrilla gardening" by LA's Ron Finley to Mastering the Art of Soviet cooking with food writer Anya Von Bremzen, Dan Saladino reports from an annual food symposium held in Copenhagen, called MAD (the word for food in Danish).
Now in its fourth year, the event was founded by the celebrated chef of the restaurant Noma, Rene Redzepi. In his own words, it's curated by a group of "chefs, waiters, a former banker and an anthropologist".
To some it's a festival of ideas, to others it's like listening to a "food mix tape", over two days an audience of 600 chefs, writers and food obsessives hear a series of presentations about cooking, restaurants, food history and activism.
Dan Saladino takes the Food Programme inside the circus tent where the symposium is hear a selection of the diverse stories being told. There's Ron Finley, a gardener from Los Angeles who was prosecuted for growing food in a patch of land in front of his him. He took on the authorities and changed the law. His story has inspired people all over the world.
It's also an important arena for the world's great chefs to tell stories of kitchens and cooking and to pass on their wisdom. Food writer Joe Warwick profiles three chefs who too part in MAD 4, Pierre Koffman, Olivier Roellinger and the enigmatic Fulvio Pierangeli.
It's an often eccentric mix of stories, and so as well as guerrilla gardening there's a guide to making tapioca in the Amazonian rainforest through to a first hand account of cooking in the USSR. Some stories will surprise, others will inform, but they all inspire.
Music in this is edition is provided by Efterklang and Tatu Ronkko. They're not only one of the most respected bands in Denmark, they've also composed music for a restaurant in collaboration with chefs.From 'guerrilla gardener' Ron Finley to Soviet cooking, Dan Saladino reports from MAD 4.From a lesson in "guerrilla gardening" by LA's Ron Finley to Mastering the Art of Soviet cooking with food writer Anya Von Bremzen, Dan Saladino reports from an annual food symposium held in Copenhagen, called MAD (the word for food in Danish).
Now in its fourth year, the event was founded by the celebrated chef of the restaurant Noma, Rene Redzepi. In his own words, it's curated by a group of "chefs, waiters, a former banker and an anthropologist".
To some it's a festival of ideas, to others it's like listening to a "food mix tape", over two days an audience of 600 chefs, writers and food obsessives hear a series of presentations about cooking, restaurants, food history and activism.
Dan Saladino takes the Food Programme inside the circus tent where the symposium is hear a selection of the diverse stories being told. There's Ron Finley, a gardener from Los Angeles who was prosecuted for growing food in a patch of land in front of his him. He took on the authorities and changed the law. His story has inspired people all over the world.
It's also an important arena for the world's great chefs to tell stories of kitchens and cooking and to pass on their wisdom. Food writer Joe Warwick profiles three chefs who too part in MAD 4, Pierre Koffman, Olivier Roellinger and the enigmatic Fulvio Pierangeli.
It's an often eccentric mix of stories, and so as well as guerrilla gardening there's a guide to making tapioca in the Amazonian rainforest through to a first hand account of cooking in the USSR. Some stories will surprise, others will inform, but they all inspire.
Music in this is edition is provided by Efterklang and Tatu Ronkko. They're not only one of the most respected bands in Denmark, they've also composed music for a restaurant in collaboration with chefs.Sun, 21 Sep 2014 01:00:00 +01001439http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140922-1048.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yvm.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04hmnnfEthiopian Teff - An Ancient GrainTeff has been grown in Ethiopia for Millennia. Traditionally, it's ground, milled, mixed with water and fermented for days to make the sour staple flatbread injera.
Cultivation of this mysterious and tiny grain has been concentrated in Ethiopia for thousands of years. But now that's changing as the health-conscious Western world realise the nutritional secrets this crop might bestow.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon meets UK entrepreneurs bringing foods, normally seen as Ethiopian to new diners, and speaks to experts to hear how the rise in popularity of teff is affecting the farmers back home.Sheila Dillon tells the story of teff, an ancient grain for modern times.Teff has been grown in Ethiopia for Millennia. Traditionally, it's ground, milled, mixed with water and fermented for days to make the sour staple flatbread injera.
Cultivation of this mysterious and tiny grain has been concentrated in Ethiopia for thousands of years. But now that's changing as the health-conscious Western world realise the nutritional secrets this crop might bestow.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon meets UK entrepreneurs bringing foods, normally seen as Ethiopian to new diners, and speaks to experts to hear how the rise in popularity of teff is affecting the farmers back home.Mon, 15 Sep 2014 01:00:00 +01001616http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140916-1407.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2ywd.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04gnjjpA Taste of Britain Revisited - YorkshireDan Saladino revisits Yorkshire food traditions which were captured on film in 1974 by Derek Cooper, previous presenter of The Food Programme. From Yorkshire puddings to tripe, Dan discovers how the food from this region was formed by the Industrial Revolution, hard labour and fuel.
Dan re-watches the original 1970s A Taste of Britain tv programme with historian Peter Brears, writer Christopher Hirst, and those who remember the people and places in the original film.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.From Yorkshire pudding to tripe, the change in regional foods.Dan Saladino revisits Yorkshire food traditions which were captured on film in 1974 by Derek Cooper, previous presenter of The Food Programme. From Yorkshire puddings to tripe, Dan discovers how the food from this region was formed by the Industrial Revolution, hard labour and fuel.
Dan re-watches the original 1970s A Taste of Britain tv programme with historian Peter Brears, writer Christopher Hirst, and those who remember the people and places in the original film.
Presented by Dan Saladino and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 08 Sep 2014 01:00:00 +01001634http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140907-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yws.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04g703wA Taste of Britain Revisited - WalesIn 1974, Derek Cooper set off on a hunt - for BBC Television - around Britain to discover what was left of its regional foods and traditional ingredients. Forty years on, Dan Saladino revisits Wales, and that series, called "A Taste of Britain" - to meet some of those involved, their descendants, and to find out what happened after these foods and skills, some of which at the time were on the wane when they were recorded for the cameras.
Dan goes to Wales to find out how the tradition of fishing for sewin in tiny boats called coracles is faring. When Derek visited the Gower Peninsula, cockles were in short supply and had to be sourced from outside of Wales. Dan visits Swansea market to ask how the cockle trade is doing now and to see if the famous Welsh laverbread is as popular today as it was when the original series was filmed in the mid 70's. At that time, Derek Cooper feared that some of the traditional Welsh foods and skills were about to be lost forever. Dan finds out whether those fears became the reality, as he asks how Welsh identity is expressed through its food.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Dan Saladino revisits Derek Cooper's hunt for British regional foods, 40 years on.In 1974, Derek Cooper set off on a hunt - for BBC Television - around Britain to discover what was left of its regional foods and traditional ingredients. Forty years on, Dan Saladino revisits Wales, and that series, called "A Taste of Britain" - to meet some of those involved, their descendants, and to find out what happened after these foods and skills, some of which at the time were on the wane when they were recorded for the cameras.
Dan goes to Wales to find out how the tradition of fishing for sewin in tiny boats called coracles is faring. When Derek visited the Gower Peninsula, cockles were in short supply and had to be sourced from outside of Wales. Dan visits Swansea market to ask how the cockle trade is doing now and to see if the famous Welsh laverbread is as popular today as it was when the original series was filmed in the mid 70's. At that time, Derek Cooper feared that some of the traditional Welsh foods and skills were about to be lost forever. Dan finds out whether those fears became the reality, as he asks how Welsh identity is expressed through its food.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 01 Sep 2014 01:00:00 +01001621http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140831-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yx6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04fy2blA Taste of Britain Revisited - DorsetIn 1974, Derek Cooper set off on a hunt - for BBC Television - around Britain to discover what was left of its regional foods and traditional ingredients. Forty years on, Dan Saladino revisits that series, called "A Taste of Britain" - to meet some of those involved, their descendants, and to find out what happened after these food traditions, many of which at the time were on the wane, were recorded for the cameras.
In the first of a three-part special summer series, Dan starts his own food journey in Dorset. He'll share stories with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Mark Hix, and go on the trail of some long-hidden buried fungi, as well as an oddly elusive cheese: the Dorset Blue Vinny.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Dan Saladino revisits Derek Cooper's hunt for British regional foods, four decades on.In 1974, Derek Cooper set off on a hunt - for BBC Television - around Britain to discover what was left of its regional foods and traditional ingredients. Forty years on, Dan Saladino revisits that series, called "A Taste of Britain" - to meet some of those involved, their descendants, and to find out what happened after these food traditions, many of which at the time were on the wane, were recorded for the cameras.
In the first of a three-part special summer series, Dan starts his own food journey in Dorset. He'll share stories with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Mark Hix, and go on the trail of some long-hidden buried fungi, as well as an oddly elusive cheese: the Dorset Blue Vinny.
Presenter: Dan Saladino
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 25 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +01001684http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140826-1439.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yxk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04f8m56Eat for VictoryEat for Victory - Sheila Dillon meets the people who are using the techniques of WWII rationing to improve their diet today. Clare Millar likes to dress as a land girl, and eat like one too. She isn't interested in eating Woolton Pie but she finds that the mantras from the time of rationing such as Grow Your Own Food, Don't Take More Than You Can Eat and Don't Waste Good Food are still useful today.
60 years after the end of rationing Sheila and Clare find that there is still a lot to learn from that period. They meet women in their 80s and 90s to hear the cooking techniques that they learnt during rationing.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.How to revolutionize your cooking, 1940s style. With Sheila Dillon.Eat for Victory - Sheila Dillon meets the people who are using the techniques of WWII rationing to improve their diet today. Clare Millar likes to dress as a land girl, and eat like one too. She isn't interested in eating Woolton Pie but she finds that the mantras from the time of rationing such as Grow Your Own Food, Don't Take More Than You Can Eat and Don't Waste Good Food are still useful today.
60 years after the end of rationing Sheila and Clare find that there is still a lot to learn from that period. They meet women in their 80s and 90s to hear the cooking techniques that they learnt during rationing.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Mon, 18 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +01001421http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140817-1400.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yy1.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04dh397Growing Veg, Not DrugsGrowing salad leaves is changing the lives of former drug addicts in Bristol. Sheila Dillon visits The Severn Project run by Steve Glover. Steve employs ex addicts and other people who find it hard to get jobs. And he's turned it into a profitable business.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sheila Dillon visits a salad business that employs ex-addicts.Growing salad leaves is changing the lives of former drug addicts in Bristol. Sheila Dillon visits The Severn Project run by Steve Glover. Steve employs ex addicts and other people who find it hard to get jobs. And he's turned it into a profitable business.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +01001669http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140810-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yyl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04d0ybyProblems with Poultry?Is the poultry industry fit for purpose? As our consumption of chicken increases and UK poultry production intensifies, Dan Saladino looks at the modern poultry industry.
Two recent events have brought the production of chicken into sharp focus. The first is an investigation by the Guardian's Special Correspondent Felicity Lawrence into allegations of hygiene failings at major production plants.
It was a serious claim as poultry production is already under scrutiny because of the presence of campylobacter in most chicken, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
The report triggered a call by the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, for checks on two factories. The company involved strongly denied any problems had taken place, subsequent checks by the Food Standards Agency found no breaches and the plants were given the all clear. However the episode brought poultry production under national scrutiny.
Dan is given full access to the production line of one of the plants involved. Based in Scunthorpe it's the largest poultry slaughter house in the UK and is owned by the largest supermarket chicken supplier 2 Sisters. They explain how our chicken is produced and what kind of measures are in place to reduce levels of campylobacter.
The second story that brought poultry to renewed national attention was a recent decision by the Food Standards Agency on its plans to publish data revealing which supermarkets had the highest levels of campylobacter in their supply chains. In March it was announced that the agency was pushing ahead with "steely determination" to publish the names and levels of the bacteria. In July that decision was reversed and that data might not be available for another year. Dan asks the Food Standards Agency why consumers won't be getting this information as soon as possible.Is the poultry industry fit for purpose? Dan Saladino looks at how UK chicken is produced.Is the poultry industry fit for purpose? As our consumption of chicken increases and UK poultry production intensifies, Dan Saladino looks at the modern poultry industry.
Two recent events have brought the production of chicken into sharp focus. The first is an investigation by the Guardian's Special Correspondent Felicity Lawrence into allegations of hygiene failings at major production plants.
It was a serious claim as poultry production is already under scrutiny because of the presence of campylobacter in most chicken, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
The report triggered a call by the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, for checks on two factories. The company involved strongly denied any problems had taken place, subsequent checks by the Food Standards Agency found no breaches and the plants were given the all clear. However the episode brought poultry production under national scrutiny.
Dan is given full access to the production line of one of the plants involved. Based in Scunthorpe it's the largest poultry slaughter house in the UK and is owned by the largest supermarket chicken supplier 2 Sisters. They explain how our chicken is produced and what kind of measures are in place to reduce levels of campylobacter.
The second story that brought poultry to renewed national attention was a recent decision by the Food Standards Agency on its plans to publish data revealing which supermarkets had the highest levels of campylobacter in their supply chains. In March it was announced that the agency was pushing ahead with "steely determination" to publish the names and levels of the bacteria. In July that decision was reversed and that data might not be available for another year. Dan asks the Food Standards Agency why consumers won't be getting this information as soon as possible.Mon, 04 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +01001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140804-1654.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2yzb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04c9xcjEnglish WineEnglish and Welsh wines are on the up and up, as Sheila Dillon investigates.
Wine production is well known as a risky investment, not least because it is so dependent on the weather. Many UK growers were hit very hard by the terrible summer of 2012. One of our most well known brands, Nyetimber, completely abandoned their harvest for that year. Establishing a vineyard also requires a big capital investment; one adage used to be that if you wanted to make a moderate amount of money the way to do it would be to have a large amount of money and then plant a vineyard. This may be part of the reason why the wine produced in England and Wales accounts for less than 1% of that consumed here.
Despite all of this, the acreage of vineyards in England has doubled in the last 7 years and there are some producers aiming to produce an unheard of million bottles a year. Perhaps more importantly, mentioning English or Welsh wine at a dinner table is no longer likely to attract sniggers of derision. In fact our wine production is now synonymous with quality. As UK wine producers big and small are growing in confidence, Sheila Dillon asks how they can assure their future in a risk laden business, where they are still one of the smallest players on the global market.
Producer: Sarah Langan.English and Welsh wines are on the up and up, as Sheila Dillon investigates.English and Welsh wines are on the up and up, as Sheila Dillon investigates.
Wine production is well known as a risky investment, not least because it is so dependent on the weather. Many UK growers were hit very hard by the terrible summer of 2012. One of our most well known brands, Nyetimber, completely abandoned their harvest for that year. Establishing a vineyard also requires a big capital investment; one adage used to be that if you wanted to make a moderate amount of money the way to do it would be to have a large amount of money and then plant a vineyard. This may be part of the reason why the wine produced in England and Wales accounts for less than 1% of that consumed here.
Despite all of this, the acreage of vineyards in England has doubled in the last 7 years and there are some producers aiming to produce an unheard of million bottles a year. Perhaps more importantly, mentioning English or Welsh wine at a dinner table is no longer likely to attract sniggers of derision. In fact our wine production is now synonymous with quality. As UK wine producers big and small are growing in confidence, Sheila Dillon asks how they can assure their future in a risk laden business, where they are still one of the smallest players on the global market.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:00:00 +01001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140727-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z00.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b04bmtp9Salad leavesIt's boom time in the world of lettuce and salad leaves. More leafy greens were sold in the UK last year than ever before, and that upward trend looks set to continue - driven in particular by bags and bowls of pre-prepared leaves. In this edition of The Food Programme, Dan Saladino goes on a journey into this fast-changing world of leaves - from how they are grown and packaged, to the ongoing hunt for new leaves.
Dan discovers how one particular type of lettuce with roots in 19th-century America changed food forever, he encounters a man who travels the globe searching for the next 'hero leaf' - and learns secrets about preparing and growing.
Along the way he'll meet pioneering chefs René Redzepi and David Everitt-Matthias, US food writer Irene Sax, greengrocer Charlie Hicks, as well as gardener and writer Mark Diacono.Dan Saladino reports on the increasingly complex world of salad leaves.It's boom time in the world of lettuce and salad leaves. More leafy greens were sold in the UK last year than ever before, and that upward trend looks set to continue - driven in particular by bags and bowls of pre-prepared leaves. In this edition of The Food Programme, Dan Saladino goes on a journey into this fast-changing world of leaves - from how they are grown and packaged, to the ongoing hunt for new leaves.
Dan discovers how one particular type of lettuce with roots in 19th-century America changed food forever, he encounters a man who travels the globe searching for the next 'hero leaf' - and learns secrets about preparing and growing.
Along the way he'll meet pioneering chefs René Redzepi and David Everitt-Matthias, US food writer Irene Sax, greengrocer Charlie Hicks, as well as gardener and writer Mark Diacono.Mon, 21 Jul 2014 01:00:00 +01001659http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140720-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z0j.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b049xtjmFood in OperaFood in Opera. Sheila Dillon hears the story of food told through 400 years of music history. Gluttonous composers, cuisine centred plotlines and singers needing nourishment.
Renowned opera critic and gourmet traveller, Fred Plotkin holds an event at the Royal Opera House on food in opera. We get to listen in to stories of a sugar addicted Mozart, Pavarotti's post performance meals and find out who gave their name to Pasta Norma.
The interval is spent at Glyndebourne opera speaking with chorus members and prop makers about the travails of eating on stage.
Presented by Sheila Dillon with help from Opera on 3's Christopher Cook. Produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sheila Dillon hears how music and food have influenced each other over the past 400 years.Food in Opera. Sheila Dillon hears the story of food told through 400 years of music history. Gluttonous composers, cuisine centred plotlines and singers needing nourishment.
Renowned opera critic and gourmet traveller, Fred Plotkin holds an event at the Royal Opera House on food in opera. We get to listen in to stories of a sugar addicted Mozart, Pavarotti's post performance meals and find out who gave their name to Pasta Norma.
The interval is spent at Glyndebourne opera speaking with chorus members and prop makers about the travails of eating on stage.
Presented by Sheila Dillon with help from Opera on 3's Christopher Cook. Produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sun, 13 Jul 2014 01:00:00 +01001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140713-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z14.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0495lm1Food and the CurriculumStefan Gates talks to teachers, kids and cooks about food and the curriculum, ahead of the changes that come into force from September. Stefan asks how well prepared schools and teachers are, what students think of it all and whether the changes will finally spark a real change in the attitudes to food that will grow for generations.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Stefan Gates talks to teachers, kids and cooks about food and the curriculum.Stefan Gates talks to teachers, kids and cooks about food and the curriculum, ahead of the changes that come into force from September. Stefan asks how well prepared schools and teachers are, what students think of it all and whether the changes will finally spark a real change in the attitudes to food that will grow for generations.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:00:00 +01001656http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140706-1232.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z1g.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b048j632Mexican cooking and the food adventures of Diana KennedyDan Saladino meets the world authority on the food of Mexico, the British born writer Diana Kennedy.
Diana Kennedy's life reads like an adventure story. Born in Loughton, Essex in 1923, after serving in the land army she set off on a journey that would take her to Canada, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. She stopped off in Haiti, met the New York Times correspondent Paul Kennedy, fell in love and they moved to Mexico.
Soon after arriving she became fascinated by Mexican food. A maid looking after the home was also a cook and the regional dishes made Diana Kennedy curious about the ingredients and recipes of other regions of Mexico.
After Paul Kennedy died in 1966 Diana found herself living in New York, with no income and an uncertain future. The Food Editor of The New York Times, Craig Claiborne encouraged her to use her knowledge of Mexican food and give cooking lessons.
To research recipes and find ingredients she'd travel to remote parts of Mexico, into villages, to markets and into kitchens with domestic cooks to learn more about traditional foods. That research has continued for five decades.
It has produced nine books, and a body of work that is now regarded as the most
authoritative account of Mexico's cuisines ever created. In the programme Diana Kennedy explains her life in food.
In the programme food writer and editor of Swallow magazine, James Casey visits Diana Kennedy in her home in Michoacan to see how she's also created a garden containing varieties of fruit and vegetables from all over Mexico.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Dan Saladino meets a world authority on the food of Mexico, British-born Diana Kennedy.Dan Saladino meets the world authority on the food of Mexico, the British born writer Diana Kennedy.
Diana Kennedy's life reads like an adventure story. Born in Loughton, Essex in 1923, after serving in the land army she set off on a journey that would take her to Canada, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. She stopped off in Haiti, met the New York Times correspondent Paul Kennedy, fell in love and they moved to Mexico.
Soon after arriving she became fascinated by Mexican food. A maid looking after the home was also a cook and the regional dishes made Diana Kennedy curious about the ingredients and recipes of other regions of Mexico.
After Paul Kennedy died in 1966 Diana found herself living in New York, with no income and an uncertain future. The Food Editor of The New York Times, Craig Claiborne encouraged her to use her knowledge of Mexican food and give cooking lessons.
To research recipes and find ingredients she'd travel to remote parts of Mexico, into villages, to markets and into kitchens with domestic cooks to learn more about traditional foods. That research has continued for five decades.
It has produced nine books, and a body of work that is now regarded as the most
authoritative account of Mexico's cuisines ever created. In the programme Diana Kennedy explains her life in food.
In the programme food writer and editor of Swallow magazine, James Casey visits Diana Kennedy in her home in Michoacan to see how she's also created a garden containing varieties of fruit and vegetables from all over Mexico.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Mon, 30 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +01001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140630-1012.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z1y.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b047w8tpSweeteners: The answer to our sugar cravings?Sheila Dillon asks whether sweeteners could be the way for us to cut down sugar but to keep enjoying sweet treats.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Could sweeteners be the way for us to cut down on sugar but keep eating sweet treats?Sheila Dillon asks whether sweeteners could be the way for us to cut down sugar but to keep enjoying sweet treats.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Mon, 23 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +01001656http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140622-1254.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z2c.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0474yd3US Southern Cooking and Chef Sean BrockRichard Johnson is in South Carolina to meet Charleston chef, Sean Brock, who is on a mission to revive ingredients and flavours not experienced for hundreds of years.
It's a story that involves an intricate "food tattoo", one of America's biggest private seed collections, a hog roast and "pick picking" and bowls of delicious peas, beans, rice, grits and fried chicken.
Soon after British settlers arrived in South Carolina in the 17th century a cuisine called the "Carolina rice kitchen" was formed. Using the expertise of West African slaves to develop rice plantations, a larder evolved consisting of the main crop along with beans, African vegetables and staples like oats, rye and wheat from Britain.
Chef Sean Brock believes it was one of the earliest, and "most beautiful" food cultures in America. In his mid-thirties and sporting an arm covered in tattoos of heirloom vegetables, he's attempting to "reboot" that cuisine and those ingredients which had all disappeared by the 20th century.
He's joined forces with historian David Shields and a seed hunter, Glenn Roberts, to source, grow and cook with these historic foods.
Richard joins Sean Brock at his restaurant, Husk to hear why "ridiculous flavour" is the driving force behind the mission.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Richard Johnson is in Charleston, South Carolina to see how a chef is reviving lost food.Richard Johnson is in South Carolina to meet Charleston chef, Sean Brock, who is on a mission to revive ingredients and flavours not experienced for hundreds of years.
It's a story that involves an intricate "food tattoo", one of America's biggest private seed collections, a hog roast and "pick picking" and bowls of delicious peas, beans, rice, grits and fried chicken.
Soon after British settlers arrived in South Carolina in the 17th century a cuisine called the "Carolina rice kitchen" was formed. Using the expertise of West African slaves to develop rice plantations, a larder evolved consisting of the main crop along with beans, African vegetables and staples like oats, rye and wheat from Britain.
Chef Sean Brock believes it was one of the earliest, and "most beautiful" food cultures in America. In his mid-thirties and sporting an arm covered in tattoos of heirloom vegetables, he's attempting to "reboot" that cuisine and those ingredients which had all disappeared by the 20th century.
He's joined forces with historian David Shields and a seed hunter, Glenn Roberts, to source, grow and cook with these historic foods.
Richard joins Sean Brock at his restaurant, Husk to hear why "ridiculous flavour" is the driving force behind the mission.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +00001680http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140615-1309.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z2k.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01r09t0Holy FoodTim Hayward looks at the tradition of monastic food production, with stories from Sicily, New York as well as from closer to home.
Ever since the 6th century rule of St Benedict said that monastic orders should be self- sufficient, monks and nuns have taken to the land and to the kitchens to produce food and drink for sale. Tim introduces us to some specific examples of how that tradition is thriving today. Giorgio Locatelli and food historian Mary Taylor Simeti explain how an array of recipes for sublime biscuits and pastries made by Sicilian nuns have survived for centuries, due in no small way to a woman called Maria Grammatico who went to live in a convent where Nuns would live out their final days. She would collect their recipes and she went on to become one of the most famous makers of Sicilian pastries. Giorgio Locatelli lovingly recreates some of those sumptuous treats in his Locanda restaurant today. We visit the New Skete Nuns in New York who have featured in the New York Times and Vanity Fair with their famous cheesecakes. Tim talks to food historian Annie Gray who reminds him of the overall impact of the monastic orders on food production but who also cautions us not to get too carried away with the idea of continuity. We hear from the writer, Madeline Scherb, who went on her own pilgrimage around the world to cook and pray with some monks and nuns; recalling the chanting of the Hail Mary on a caramel production line. She explains how St Benedict himself was not able to persuade his own monks to abstain completely from alcohol, and so the tradition of producing liquors of all sorts is one of the longest surviving strands of monastic production. In the UK, that includes the famous Ampleforth abbey ciders and beers. And there's Buckfast tonic wine from Devon; a drink that has attracted controversy in some areas. Join Tim Hayward as he raises a glass to a tradition of monastic food production that appears to be alive and kicking.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Tim Hayward looks at the tradition of monastic food production.Tim Hayward looks at the tradition of monastic food production, with stories from Sicily, New York as well as from closer to home.
Ever since the 6th century rule of St Benedict said that monastic orders should be self- sufficient, monks and nuns have taken to the land and to the kitchens to produce food and drink for sale. Tim introduces us to some specific examples of how that tradition is thriving today. Giorgio Locatelli and food historian Mary Taylor Simeti explain how an array of recipes for sublime biscuits and pastries made by Sicilian nuns have survived for centuries, due in no small way to a woman called Maria Grammatico who went to live in a convent where Nuns would live out their final days. She would collect their recipes and she went on to become one of the most famous makers of Sicilian pastries. Giorgio Locatelli lovingly recreates some of those sumptuous treats in his Locanda restaurant today. We visit the New Skete Nuns in New York who have featured in the New York Times and Vanity Fair with their famous cheesecakes. Tim talks to food historian Annie Gray who reminds him of the overall impact of the monastic orders on food production but who also cautions us not to get too carried away with the idea of continuity. We hear from the writer, Madeline Scherb, who went on her own pilgrimage around the world to cook and pray with some monks and nuns; recalling the chanting of the Hail Mary on a caramel production line. She explains how St Benedict himself was not able to persuade his own monks to abstain completely from alcohol, and so the tradition of producing liquors of all sorts is one of the longest surviving strands of monastic production. In the UK, that includes the famous Ampleforth abbey ciders and beers. And there's Buckfast tonic wine from Devon; a drink that has attracted controversy in some areas. Join Tim Hayward as he raises a glass to a tradition of monastic food production that appears to be alive and kicking.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sun, 08 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +01001673http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140608-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z2x.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b045xz2mKnivesSheila Dillon takes a look at that most coveted of kitchen tools; the knife.
One of the most primal yet treasured implements, any chef worth their salt knows that you don't mess with another chef's knife. Sheila talks to chef Henry Harris from Racine's restaurant about his passion for knives. There's a report from a knife shop where the prices reach into the the thousands. With knife skills courses popping up all over the country, this programme is a celebration of the craftsmanship and artistry of knife making and of the people with a passion for this ancient tradition; from the home cook, the new chef buying his first set of knives, to the people who hanker after the rare Japanese blade.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sheila Dillon takes a look at that most coveted of kitchen tools: the knife.Sheila Dillon takes a look at that most coveted of kitchen tools; the knife.
One of the most primal yet treasured implements, any chef worth their salt knows that you don't mess with another chef's knife. Sheila talks to chef Henry Harris from Racine's restaurant about his passion for knives. There's a report from a knife shop where the prices reach into the the thousands. With knife skills courses popping up all over the country, this programme is a celebration of the craftsmanship and artistry of knife making and of the people with a passion for this ancient tradition; from the home cook, the new chef buying his first set of knives, to the people who hanker after the rare Japanese blade.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sun, 01 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +01001691http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140601-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z33.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b045741sWild BoozeWriter and forager Andy Hamilton leads a journey hunting for plants to make incredible drinks, and looks again at the wild world all around us.Writer Andy Hamilton leads a wild journey foraging for plants to make incredible drinks.Writer and forager Andy Hamilton leads a journey hunting for plants to make incredible drinks, and looks again at the wild world all around us.Sun, 25 May 2014 01:00:00 +01001447http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140525-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z3k.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b044bckfFish FarmingFields of Fish - The huge rise in farmed fish and the people trying to make it sustainable. The world is now producing more farmed fish than farmed beef. Sheila Dillon discovers how fish farming works and hears concerns about its impact on the environment and fish welfare.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon on the huge rise in farmed fish and the people trying to make it sustainableFields of Fish - The huge rise in farmed fish and the people trying to make it sustainable. The world is now producing more farmed fish than farmed beef. Sheila Dillon discovers how fish farming works and hears concerns about its impact on the environment and fish welfare.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 18 May 2014 01:00:00 +01001646http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140519-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z3w.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b043wk0lKen Hom 2 (of 2) - Politics, influence and the futureIn this second of two special editions recorded at the Bristol Food Connections Festival, Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Today they focus on what Ken has been doing since his early BBC career and about how his political beliefs have developed over the years. They also discuss the changes in China and his fears and hopes for the future.
In yesterday's programme, Sheila and Ken discussed the impact his first BBC series 'Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery' had when it aired in Britain in 1984. They also talked about his very early influences from his childhood in Chicago's Chinatown.
In the 60's though, Ken moved to California and became something of a hippy; dropping out from University and even declaring himself a Maoist for a while. He never admitted this allegiance to his mother who had very anti Communist views.
Sheila discusses his political motivation and how that has changed over years. They also talk about his landmark 2012 TV series 'Exploring China', which revealed much more about China than just the state of its food. In the programme Ken was reunited with his father's family who he had not seen for over twenty years.
Ken also tells Sheila about how much teaching means to him, and how he intends to carry on inspiring the next generation of young people, through a passion for food.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Part two of two.In this second of two special editions recorded at the Bristol Food Connections Festival, Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Today they focus on what Ken has been doing since his early BBC career and about how his political beliefs have developed over the years. They also discuss the changes in China and his fears and hopes for the future.
In yesterday's programme, Sheila and Ken discussed the impact his first BBC series 'Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery' had when it aired in Britain in 1984. They also talked about his very early influences from his childhood in Chicago's Chinatown.
In the 60's though, Ken moved to California and became something of a hippy; dropping out from University and even declaring himself a Maoist for a while. He never admitted this allegiance to his mother who had very anti Communist views.
Sheila discusses his political motivation and how that has changed over years. They also talk about his landmark 2012 TV series 'Exploring China', which revealed much more about China than just the state of its food. In the programme Ken was reunited with his father's family who he had not seen for over twenty years.
Ken also tells Sheila about how much teaching means to him, and how he intends to carry on inspiring the next generation of young people, through a passion for food.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Mon, 12 May 2014 01:00:00 +01001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140512-1601.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z44.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b044pyqfKen Hom 1 (of 2) - The Early YearsOver 2 special programmes from the Food Connections festival in Bristol, Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Part 1: 1 His upbringing and early career.
It's hard to believe that it was nearly 30 years ago when Ken Hom first appeared on BBC television with his series that arguably revolutionised British cooking.
Back in 1984, many people in the UK had hardly tasted Chinese food (let alone tried to cook it for themselves) when they tuned into BBC TV to watch the youthful presenter of Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery. Since then, Ken has continued to spread the word both here and abroad through television, books and teaching. It's said that seven million of his woks have been sold internationally.
Sheila and Ken recall the key moments and mentors in his life; since he began to learn to cook as an 11 year old working at his uncle's Chicago restaurant, to his position now where he is regarded as one of the world's most renowned chefs and ambassadors for Chinese cuisine.
In tomorrow's edition, Sheila and Ken talk further about his political beliefs, his 2012 landmark series Exploring China, about teaching and about his hopes for the future.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Part one of two.Over 2 special programmes from the Food Connections festival in Bristol, Sheila Dillon talks to Ken Hom about his extraordinary life through food. Part 1: 1 His upbringing and early career.
It's hard to believe that it was nearly 30 years ago when Ken Hom first appeared on BBC television with his series that arguably revolutionised British cooking.
Back in 1984, many people in the UK had hardly tasted Chinese food (let alone tried to cook it for themselves) when they tuned into BBC TV to watch the youthful presenter of Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery. Since then, Ken has continued to spread the word both here and abroad through television, books and teaching. It's said that seven million of his woks have been sold internationally.
Sheila and Ken recall the key moments and mentors in his life; since he began to learn to cook as an 11 year old working at his uncle's Chicago restaurant, to his position now where he is regarded as one of the world's most renowned chefs and ambassadors for Chinese cuisine.
In tomorrow's edition, Sheila and Ken talk further about his political beliefs, his 2012 landmark series Exploring China, about teaching and about his hopes for the future.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sun, 11 May 2014 01:00:00 +01001436http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140511-1305.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z4d.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b042z662Behind the Scenes at BBC Food and Farming Awards 2014The first of two-part special on the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards - now in its 14th year on Radio 4 and being hosted in Bristol for the first time.
The awards celebrate individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK who produce quality food and change lives.
In this episode Valentine Warner, Chair of the judges, discovers the food, music and animation which all played their part in the 2014 Awards ceremony
Bristol chef Barny Haughton prepares a celebratory meal for the finalists using their own products and recipes.
Valentine also discovers the challenges of representing food in music as David Ogden composes a piece of music for the Awards. And students from the University of the West of England work on representing food in animation.
The BBC is recording and transmitting food-related editions of some of the nation's favourite radio programmes throughout the Bristol Food Connections festival, which takes place from 1 to 11 May.The story behind the Food and Farming Awards 2014.The first of two-part special on the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards - now in its 14th year on Radio 4 and being hosted in Bristol for the first time.
The awards celebrate individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK who produce quality food and change lives.
In this episode Valentine Warner, Chair of the judges, discovers the food, music and animation which all played their part in the 2014 Awards ceremony
Bristol chef Barny Haughton prepares a celebratory meal for the finalists using their own products and recipes.
Valentine also discovers the challenges of representing food in music as David Ogden composes a piece of music for the Awards. And students from the University of the West of England work on representing food in animation.
The BBC is recording and transmitting food-related editions of some of the nation's favourite radio programmes throughout the Bristol Food Connections festival, which takes place from 1 to 11 May.Sun, 04 May 2014 01:00:00 +01001426http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140504-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z52.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b042cs5wPlantains and pleasure; Jamaican food in the UKTim Hayward on the evolution of Jamaican food in the UK with chefs and cooks in Bristol.Tim Hayward on the evolution of Jamaican food in the UK with chefs and cooks in Bristol.Tim Hayward on the evolution of Jamaican food in the UK with chefs and cooks in Bristol.Sun, 27 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +01001666http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140427-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q2z5n.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b041vcq9A Tribute to Derek CooperSheila Dillon pays tribute to the late Derek Cooper who started The Food Programme back in 1979 and changed the face of food broadcasting and journalism.A special tribute to the late Derek Cooper who started the food programme back in 1979.Sheila Dillon pays tribute to the late Derek Cooper who started The Food Programme back in 1979 and changed the face of food broadcasting and journalism.Sun, 20 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +01001659http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140422-1133.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30bd.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0414dzcFood in Northern Ireland: A Golden Era?Sheila Dillon meets Northern Ireland's chefs and producers leading a food renaissance.Sheila Dillon meets Northern Ireland's chefs and producers leading a food renaissance.Sheila Dillon meets Northern Ireland's chefs and producers leading a food renaissance.Sun, 13 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +01001698http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140413-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30c0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b040h55gRaw MilkWith a Food Standards Agency consultation underway, Sheila Dillon and guests discuss the controversial subject of raw milk. Banned in Scotland in 1983, the current system in England allows raw unpasteurised milk to be sold directly from the farmer. Raw milk producers are subject to stringent and regular laboratory tests and their products have to carry a warning on the label that the milk may contain properties that are harmful. But there is a growing demand for raw milk in the UK and means of supply are testing the current rules ; The FSA recently threatened prosecution over the presence of a vending machine selling raw milk in Selfridges. Advocates argue that raw milk has many positive health benefits that are lost with pasteurisation. The debate for some is about the right of the individual to choose what risks they take. Balancing that demand with the need to protect public health is the challenge the Food Standards Agency faces. In America, the libertarian argument is even more polarised. With the prices paid for pasteurised milk being on a seemingly downward trajectory in the UK, and with internet shopping making a mockery of distribution rules, Sheila will get the views of all the interested parties. The passion this subject stirs, and the big questions it raises will make for a lively and engaging listen to everyone - raw milk and non raw milk drinkers alike.Sheila Dillon looks at the controversial subject of raw milk.With a Food Standards Agency consultation underway, Sheila Dillon and guests discuss the controversial subject of raw milk. Banned in Scotland in 1983, the current system in England allows raw unpasteurised milk to be sold directly from the farmer. Raw milk producers are subject to stringent and regular laboratory tests and their products have to carry a warning on the label that the milk may contain properties that are harmful. But there is a growing demand for raw milk in the UK and means of supply are testing the current rules ; The FSA recently threatened prosecution over the presence of a vending machine selling raw milk in Selfridges. Advocates argue that raw milk has many positive health benefits that are lost with pasteurisation. The debate for some is about the right of the individual to choose what risks they take. Balancing that demand with the need to protect public health is the challenge the Food Standards Agency faces. In America, the libertarian argument is even more polarised. With the prices paid for pasteurised milk being on a seemingly downward trajectory in the UK, and with internet shopping making a mockery of distribution rules, Sheila will get the views of all the interested parties. The passion this subject stirs, and the big questions it raises will make for a lively and engaging listen to everyone - raw milk and non raw milk drinkers alike.Sun, 06 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +01001642http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140406-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30cb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03zxmywWild BeerDan Saladino meets the brewers transforming the flavours and styles of the British craft beer scene. From experiments with seaweed to efforts to find lost Victorian recipes, it's a diverse and fast moving world, so where are the new ideas for beer coming from and which brewers are leading the way?
The award winning beer writer Pete Brown has described 2014 as the year in which craft beer has gone mainstream. A term first used to describe the renaissance of American brewing in the 1980's "craft" refers to smaller scale breweries, producing in small batches and often working with beer styles packed with flavour.
In the last ten years the overall beer market has crashed by 25 per cent. Although cask ale is holding its own, the beer of this new wave of "craft brewers" is growing at around 70 per cent, year on year. The Food Programme finds out who is behind this trend and what kind of beers they're producing.
Dan hears from Brewdog in Scotland, Thornbridge in Derbyshire, Wild Beer Co in Somerset as well as The Kernel and Meantime breweries in London to hear why sour beers, German styles and Saisons are the order of the day.
Beer archivist Ron Pattinson talks about his efforts to revive some of Britain's lost beer recipes and Garrett Oliver, editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, explains why experiments in yeast are giving us new beers flavours.
From Copenhagen the man behind the Mikkeller brewery describes why he never brews the same beer twice and why seaweed, popcorn and vanilla are on his list of ingredients.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Dan Saladino meets the brewers transforming the flavours and styles of British beer.Dan Saladino meets the brewers transforming the flavours and styles of the British craft beer scene. From experiments with seaweed to efforts to find lost Victorian recipes, it's a diverse and fast moving world, so where are the new ideas for beer coming from and which brewers are leading the way?
The award winning beer writer Pete Brown has described 2014 as the year in which craft beer has gone mainstream. A term first used to describe the renaissance of American brewing in the 1980's "craft" refers to smaller scale breweries, producing in small batches and often working with beer styles packed with flavour.
In the last ten years the overall beer market has crashed by 25 per cent. Although cask ale is holding its own, the beer of this new wave of "craft brewers" is growing at around 70 per cent, year on year. The Food Programme finds out who is behind this trend and what kind of beers they're producing.
Dan hears from Brewdog in Scotland, Thornbridge in Derbyshire, Wild Beer Co in Somerset as well as The Kernel and Meantime breweries in London to hear why sour beers, German styles and Saisons are the order of the day.
Beer archivist Ron Pattinson talks about his efforts to revive some of Britain's lost beer recipes and Garrett Oliver, editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, explains why experiments in yeast are giving us new beers flavours.
From Copenhagen the man behind the Mikkeller brewery describes why he never brews the same beer twice and why seaweed, popcorn and vanilla are on his list of ingredients.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +00001680http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140330-1305.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30d6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03z3l4fMicro-BakeriesThe rise and rise of the micro-bakery. How home baked bread became a business opportunity.The rise & rise of the micro-bakery. How home baked bread became a business opportunity.The rise and rise of the micro-bakery. How home baked bread became a business opportunity.Sun, 23 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +00001668http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140323-1302.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30dt.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03ymr54Hospital FoodSheila Dillon investigates the government's latest plans to improve food in the NHS. The government is introducing a new incentive to encourage hospitals to invest in food. Will this succeed where other initiatives fail?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon investigates the government's latest plans to improve food in the NHS.Sheila Dillon investigates the government's latest plans to improve food in the NHS. The government is introducing a new incentive to encourage hospitals to invest in food. Will this succeed where other initiatives fail?
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 16 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +00001681http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140316-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30fb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03xzyy1BBC Food & Farming Awards: Meet the FinalistsA special edition introducing the producers, farmers and cooks who have made it through to the final stage of 2014's BBC Food & Farming Awards, featuring judges Charles Campion and Richard Corrigan.
At the beginning of the year thousands of Radio 4 listeners from all parts of the UK sent in nominations, describing the work of their food heroes. Now, six weeks on, the judging team has decided who the finalists are.
Dan Saladino introduces the 24 finalists across ten different categories from Best Drinks Producer to Best Food Market and from Best Local Food Retailer to Best Streetfood and Takeaway. The judges have been travelling to meet them all, taste the food and drink they make and hear their stories.
In early May, in Bristol, at the annual Awards ceremony, we'll find out which of these finalists go on to become the winners.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.A rundown of who has made it through to the final stage of the BBC Food and Farming AwardsA special edition introducing the producers, farmers and cooks who have made it through to the final stage of 2014's BBC Food & Farming Awards, featuring judges Charles Campion and Richard Corrigan.
At the beginning of the year thousands of Radio 4 listeners from all parts of the UK sent in nominations, describing the work of their food heroes. Now, six weeks on, the judging team has decided who the finalists are.
Dan Saladino introduces the 24 finalists across ten different categories from Best Drinks Producer to Best Food Market and from Best Local Food Retailer to Best Streetfood and Takeaway. The judges have been travelling to meet them all, taste the food and drink they make and hear their stories.
In early May, in Bristol, at the annual Awards ceremony, we'll find out which of these finalists go on to become the winners.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +00001643http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140310-1700.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30ft.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03wgzqqA Renaissance for Butchers?Sheila Dillon examines the state of the Butchery profession to find out how it has weathered the storm since the horsemeat scandal. She asks how our consumption habits have affected demand, and whether the profession of Butchery is still a promising one for young people. With contributions from young butchers Illtud Dunsford and Charlotte Harbottle, and Dario Cecchini who believes butchery is an art form and who quotes Dante as he works.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Did the horsemeat scandal really did halt the decline of the high street butchers?Sheila Dillon examines the state of the Butchery profession to find out how it has weathered the storm since the horsemeat scandal. She asks how our consumption habits have affected demand, and whether the profession of Butchery is still a promising one for young people. With contributions from young butchers Illtud Dunsford and Charlotte Harbottle, and Dario Cecchini who believes butchery is an art form and who quotes Dante as he works.
Producer: Sarah Langan.Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +00001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140302-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30gb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03xcy1pThe Future of FairtradeMatthew Hill reports on the future of Fairtrade as the label marks its 20th anniversary. Some are arguing that a new initiative is weakening the foundation's founding vision.
Produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Matthew Hill reports on the future of Fairtrade as the label marks its 20th anniversary.Matthew Hill reports on the future of Fairtrade as the label marks its 20th anniversary. Some are arguing that a new initiative is weakening the foundation's founding vision.
Produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 23 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +00001673http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140223-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30gx.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03vzhp5Really Wild FoodSheila Dillon interviews the team behind the BBC's Natural History Unit to uncover the strangest collection of food stories from around the world. From weird, wonderful and disgusting tales of eating krill burgers in the Antarctic, to drinking goat's blood in Ethiopia.
Produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.From krill burgers to goat's blood, the intriguing diet of the BBC Natural History Unit.Sheila Dillon interviews the team behind the BBC's Natural History Unit to uncover the strangest collection of food stories from around the world. From weird, wonderful and disgusting tales of eating krill burgers in the Antarctic, to drinking goat's blood in Ethiopia.
Produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sun, 16 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +00001661http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140216-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30hf.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03vd15xClaudia Roden: A Life Through FoodIn 1968 Claudia Roden published her first book, 'A Book of Middle Eastern Food', and with it introduced many people to an unfamiliar food culture.
When she arrived in Britain in the fifties, foods like hummus and pitta were nearly unheard of, and "to talk about food was a taboo subject". Things have changed. That these foods are now common-place and mainstream is in large part due to Claudia Roden's work.
Going on to write 'The Book of Jewish Food', 'The Food of Spain', 'Arabesque', 'Mediterranean Cookery' and others, and with a new edition of 'The Food of Italy' out next month twenty-five years after its first appearance, Sheila Dillon meets Claudia Roden. Sheila discovers a colourful and turbulent life in which food has meant so much, a life which has shaped a unique and powerful voice in food writing.
Claudia was born in 1936 into a family of Sephardic Jewish merchants, into a cosmopolitan Cairo that has, in the wake of the Suez Crisis, long since disappeared. This is the story of a family in exile and the power of food to sustain individuals and entire cultures.
With the help of Simon Schama, who is a long time admirer since coming across that first book as a young history teacher, Sheila Dillon charts a remarkable life in food.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced by Rich Ward.Claudia Roden talks about her life, cooking and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food.In 1968 Claudia Roden published her first book, 'A Book of Middle Eastern Food', and with it introduced many people to an unfamiliar food culture.
When she arrived in Britain in the fifties, foods like hummus and pitta were nearly unheard of, and "to talk about food was a taboo subject". Things have changed. That these foods are now common-place and mainstream is in large part due to Claudia Roden's work.
Going on to write 'The Book of Jewish Food', 'The Food of Spain', 'Arabesque', 'Mediterranean Cookery' and others, and with a new edition of 'The Food of Italy' out next month twenty-five years after its first appearance, Sheila Dillon meets Claudia Roden. Sheila discovers a colourful and turbulent life in which food has meant so much, a life which has shaped a unique and powerful voice in food writing.
Claudia was born in 1936 into a family of Sephardic Jewish merchants, into a cosmopolitan Cairo that has, in the wake of the Suez Crisis, long since disappeared. This is the story of a family in exile and the power of food to sustain individuals and entire cultures.
With the help of Simon Schama, who is a long time admirer since coming across that first book as a young history teacher, Sheila Dillon charts a remarkable life in food.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced by Rich Ward.Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +00001680http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140209-1302.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30j5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03tr7j0Britain and the Ready MealReady meals divide Britain, some love them, others think they're a problem for our health and wellbeing and a major culprit in de-skilling us in the kitchen. In the last four decades we've helped lead the way in the ready meal's innovation and in its consumption. We're now Europe's biggest consumers of the "prepared meal".
All of this came into sharp focus with the horsemeat scandal. A 100pc horsemeat lasagne came to symbolise the problems and anxieties of allowing others to cook our meals for us. As a result some frozen ready meals were consigned to the history books, never to be seen in a frozen cabinet again, and manufacturers reported a big drop in sales.
That's not the full picture however. In 2014 we're seeing the continued rise and rise of the premium chilled ready meal, the "posh" answer to the Italian, Indian and Asian frozen options. What does this trend tell us about our ongoing, and sometimes guilt-filled, romance with the ready meal? Who's buying all of these ready meals anyway?
Sheila Dillon visits high-end ready meals manufacturer Charlie Bigham whose business is growing in double digit figures. Sheila also hears from a sociologist (Miriam Glucksmann) about our relationship with the ready meal. Meanwhile Arabella Weir puts the ready meal in the context of more of us having to feed our families on a tight budget.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.The ready meal after horsemeat, why it was good news for chilled but a problem for frozen.Ready meals divide Britain, some love them, others think they're a problem for our health and wellbeing and a major culprit in de-skilling us in the kitchen. In the last four decades we've helped lead the way in the ready meal's innovation and in its consumption. We're now Europe's biggest consumers of the "prepared meal".
All of this came into sharp focus with the horsemeat scandal. A 100pc horsemeat lasagne came to symbolise the problems and anxieties of allowing others to cook our meals for us. As a result some frozen ready meals were consigned to the history books, never to be seen in a frozen cabinet again, and manufacturers reported a big drop in sales.
That's not the full picture however. In 2014 we're seeing the continued rise and rise of the premium chilled ready meal, the "posh" answer to the Italian, Indian and Asian frozen options. What does this trend tell us about our ongoing, and sometimes guilt-filled, romance with the ready meal? Who's buying all of these ready meals anyway?
Sheila Dillon visits high-end ready meals manufacturer Charlie Bigham whose business is growing in double digit figures. Sheila also hears from a sociologist (Miriam Glucksmann) about our relationship with the ready meal. Meanwhile Arabella Weir puts the ready meal in the context of more of us having to feed our families on a tight budget.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +00001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140204-1610.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30jr.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03sr7f9Greek Yogurt: a global love affairIn the Great Taste Awards last year, a yogurt from a small British dairy beat over 10,000 competitors to win the Supreme Champion title. This surprised many, not least because it was a simple, plain, 'Greek-style' yogurt.
This type of fermented milk product, often strained to remove whey, is a relative newcomer in the UK - but is on the rise. In fact, Greek and Greek-style yogurt is the fastest growing sector of the UK yogurt market. It has also been at the centre of a High Court battle, an American health craze and a multi-billion dollar yogurt war.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon discovers the secrets of making this thick, creamy... and delicious cultured food. It was originally made in this country by immigrants such as the founders of Tim's Dairy, now run by four brothers whose Greek Cypriot uncle started making yogurt in a small London workshop in 1949, and now make around five to ten thousand litres of Greek-style yogurt a day.
Collete and David Strachan are dairy farmers, but after losing cows (even though none were infected) during BSE and with the price of milk spiralling ever downward, the future of their Suffolk farm was in question. Ten years ago they started to experiment with yogurt-making, and along the way, as Sheila discovers, they have been joined by two of their children James and Katherine- and it's their plain Greek-style yogurt made at Marybelle Dairy that has just won the Supreme Champion award.
So what is 'Greek' yogurt? With the help of BBC producer Aylin Bozyap-Hannen who learnt how to make yogurt from her Turkish mother, Sheila reveals a traditional, regional food that has been on an incredible, controversial, and tasty journey.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon finds out why humble Greek yogurt triggered a worldwide food craze.In the Great Taste Awards last year, a yogurt from a small British dairy beat over 10,000 competitors to win the Supreme Champion title. This surprised many, not least because it was a simple, plain, 'Greek-style' yogurt.
This type of fermented milk product, often strained to remove whey, is a relative newcomer in the UK - but is on the rise. In fact, Greek and Greek-style yogurt is the fastest growing sector of the UK yogurt market. It has also been at the centre of a High Court battle, an American health craze and a multi-billion dollar yogurt war.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon discovers the secrets of making this thick, creamy... and delicious cultured food. It was originally made in this country by immigrants such as the founders of Tim's Dairy, now run by four brothers whose Greek Cypriot uncle started making yogurt in a small London workshop in 1949, and now make around five to ten thousand litres of Greek-style yogurt a day.
Collete and David Strachan are dairy farmers, but after losing cows (even though none were infected) during BSE and with the price of milk spiralling ever downward, the future of their Suffolk farm was in question. Ten years ago they started to experiment with yogurt-making, and along the way, as Sheila discovers, they have been joined by two of their children James and Katherine- and it's their plain Greek-style yogurt made at Marybelle Dairy that has just won the Supreme Champion award.
So what is 'Greek' yogurt? With the help of BBC producer Aylin Bozyap-Hannen who learnt how to make yogurt from her Turkish mother, Sheila reveals a traditional, regional food that has been on an incredible, controversial, and tasty journey.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +00001645http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140126-1400.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30k3.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03s6jtqFood and the Future of PubsSheila Dillon hears the latest on the role of food in the future of the British pub. From traditional Asian curries to the influence of Michelin starred chefs.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar.Sheila Dillon hears the latest on the role of food in the future of the British pub.Sheila Dillon hears the latest on the role of food in the future of the British pub. From traditional Asian curries to the influence of Michelin starred chefs.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar.Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +00001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140119-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30km.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03q56lvThree inspirational cooksSheila Dillon revisits the inspirational caterers from the very first BBC Food & Farming Awards. They share stories of cooking for people with cancer, HIV and mental illness. Sheila finds out how the work has changed in the last decade and a half.
In the case of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre (now called Penny Brohn Cancer Care) work on food and nutrition considered radical and alternative back in 2000 has now received wider acceptance and a place within the NHS.
A cafe run by and for people with mental illness in Stirling in Scotland has also continued its work since becoming a finalist in the awards 14 years ago, but funding has been difficult to find and it has had to move to a different location. However, people with depression and anxiety still use the cafe as a way of having social contact.
The final catering team, The Food Chain, based in London was set up in 1988 to serve meals to people with HIV. As medication has improved the long term welfare of sufferers, so the charity's work has changed and it's become a place where people come together to share food and learn about nutrition.Sheila Dillon revisits the inspirational caterers from the BBC Food and Farming Awards.Sheila Dillon revisits the inspirational caterers from the very first BBC Food & Farming Awards. They share stories of cooking for people with cancer, HIV and mental illness. Sheila finds out how the work has changed in the last decade and a half.
In the case of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre (now called Penny Brohn Cancer Care) work on food and nutrition considered radical and alternative back in 2000 has now received wider acceptance and a place within the NHS.
A cafe run by and for people with mental illness in Stirling in Scotland has also continued its work since becoming a finalist in the awards 14 years ago, but funding has been difficult to find and it has had to move to a different location. However, people with depression and anxiety still use the cafe as a way of having social contact.
The final catering team, The Food Chain, based in London was set up in 1988 to serve meals to people with HIV. As medication has improved the long term welfare of sufferers, so the charity's work has changed and it's become a place where people come together to share food and learn about nutrition.Sun, 12 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +00001677http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140112-1303.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30kv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03pdg9kThe best of British food and farming.... the search beginsSheila Dillon, chef Richard Corrigan and food writer and broadcaster Valentine Warner help launch the 2014 BBC Food & Farming Awards.
From the UK's Best Food market to the Best Drinks Producer, The Food Programme explains how to get involved and nominate your very own food hero. Sheila will be catching up with the previous year's winners to find out what happened next, and she'll also be explaining why 2014 is a particularly important year for us all to share our food stories and experiences with the judges.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon, Richard Corrigan and Valentine Warner launch the BBC Food & Farming Awards.Sheila Dillon, chef Richard Corrigan and food writer and broadcaster Valentine Warner help launch the 2014 BBC Food & Farming Awards.
From the UK's Best Food market to the Best Drinks Producer, The Food Programme explains how to get involved and nominate your very own food hero. Sheila will be catching up with the previous year's winners to find out what happened next, and she'll also be explaining why 2014 is a particularly important year for us all to share our food stories and experiences with the judges.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +00001453http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140105-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30l4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03nrpsbFish & ChipsSheila Dillon explores a renaissance in the great British fish and chip shop, with the help of food blogger Daniel Young.
At Upton Chippy near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, not much has changed since the first fry there in 1948. The fish comes fresh from Grimsby market, the potatoes from a local farmer. The batter recipe is the same (and yes, it's a secret) and it's all cooked in beef dripping on a coal-fired range, one of the last in the UK. Not many fish and chip shops have kept the faith like owner Sally Shaw and her loyal customers, one of whom admits that even when he owned his own fish and chip shop, he always had Friday off so he could come here.
Sheila visits Rhoti Chai, an Indian street-food restaurant in London, for an Indian-style pop-up fish & chips event organised by food blogger Daniel Young. Amritsari fish and masala fries as well as curried mayo and chai-spiced pickled eggs are on the menu.
James Ritchie of Simpsons in Cheltenham explains why there's nowhere to hide with a chip and Mitch Tonks of the multi-award-winning Rockfish Seafood & Chips in Devon explains why you have to know the fish game to become a winner.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.Sheila Dillon explores a renaissance in the great British fish and chip shop.Sheila Dillon explores a renaissance in the great British fish and chip shop, with the help of food blogger Daniel Young.
At Upton Chippy near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, not much has changed since the first fry there in 1948. The fish comes fresh from Grimsby market, the potatoes from a local farmer. The batter recipe is the same (and yes, it's a secret) and it's all cooked in beef dripping on a coal-fired range, one of the last in the UK. Not many fish and chip shops have kept the faith like owner Sally Shaw and her loyal customers, one of whom admits that even when he owned his own fish and chip shop, he always had Friday off so he could come here.
Sheila visits Rhoti Chai, an Indian street-food restaurant in London, for an Indian-style pop-up fish & chips event organised by food blogger Daniel Young. Amritsari fish and masala fries as well as curried mayo and chai-spiced pickled eggs are on the menu.
James Ritchie of Simpsons in Cheltenham explains why there's nowhere to hide with a chip and Mitch Tonks of the multi-award-winning Rockfish Seafood & Chips in Devon explains why you have to know the fish game to become a winner.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.Sun, 15 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +00001625http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20140103-1239.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30ld.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03lkndv100 years of Elizabeth DavidSheila Dillon and Tim Hayward discuss the legacy of Elizabeth David 100 years after her birth. The iconic food writer is credited for bringing Mediterranean cooking to post-war Britain.
Sir Terence Conran speaks about Elizabeth David's influence on kitchen design. Her nephew Johnny Grey discusses the shop Elizabeth David opened in Pimlico. And Elizabeth David's editor, Jill Norman, says that today she would not have been published.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Tim Hayward. Produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon and Tim Hayward on the legacy of Elizabeth David, 100 years after her birth.Sheila Dillon and Tim Hayward discuss the legacy of Elizabeth David 100 years after her birth. The iconic food writer is credited for bringing Mediterranean cooking to post-war Britain.
Sir Terence Conran speaks about Elizabeth David's influence on kitchen design. Her nephew Johnny Grey discusses the shop Elizabeth David opened in Pimlico. And Elizabeth David's editor, Jill Norman, says that today she would not have been published.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and Tim Hayward. Produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 29 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +00001636http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131229-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30lw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03mckr3Nutmeg: The Smell of Christmas?For cook and author Nigel Slater, 'Nutmeg and citrus are the scents of Christmas' but Sheila Dillon needs convincing.
Together they look at the versatility of nutmeg as a spice that can bring life to mulled wine, egg custards, meats and puddings.
People take it for granted now but nutmeg was highly prized in the kitchens of 16th and 17th century Europe. Traders ventured to the ends of the earth to secure it because of its value. The Dutch and the English vied for nutmeg supremacy and, in December 1616, Nathaniel Courthope and his small army saw off all competitors to gain control of the valuable nut so it could be shipped back to Britain for the culinary elite to enjoy.
Today in Grenada the spice is so important it features on the national flag. But when Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004 it devastated the entire crop and hit the economy with a vengeance. Almost ten years on the nutmeg crop seems to be well on its way to recovery and we find out how it is used on the island.
Producer : Perminder Khatkar.For Nigel Slater, nutmeg is 'the scent of Christmas', but Sheila Dillon needs convincing.For cook and author Nigel Slater, 'Nutmeg and citrus are the scents of Christmas' but Sheila Dillon needs convincing.
Together they look at the versatility of nutmeg as a spice that can bring life to mulled wine, egg custards, meats and puddings.
People take it for granted now but nutmeg was highly prized in the kitchens of 16th and 17th century Europe. Traders ventured to the ends of the earth to secure it because of its value. The Dutch and the English vied for nutmeg supremacy and, in December 1616, Nathaniel Courthope and his small army saw off all competitors to gain control of the valuable nut so it could be shipped back to Britain for the culinary elite to enjoy.
Today in Grenada the spice is so important it features on the national flag. But when Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004 it devastated the entire crop and hit the economy with a vengeance. Almost ten years on the nutmeg crop seems to be well on its way to recovery and we find out how it is used on the island.
Producer : Perminder Khatkar.Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +00001610http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131222-1259.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30md.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03m3nhmBovrilCambridge University historian Lesley Steinitz explains the pioneering story of Bovril. From its beginnings at the end of the 19th Century there are many parallels between Bovril then and our food production today.
Robert Opie takes Sheila round the Museum of Brands to see Bovril's strong advertizing campaigns. Pete Simson drinks beef tea with the crowds at a Bristol Rovers game. And Sheila samples a Bovril cocktail.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Lesley Steinitz explains the pioneering story of Bovril - a very beefy love affair.Cambridge University historian Lesley Steinitz explains the pioneering story of Bovril. From its beginnings at the end of the 19th Century there are many parallels between Bovril then and our food production today.
Robert Opie takes Sheila round the Museum of Brands to see Bovril's strong advertizing campaigns. Pete Simson drinks beef tea with the crowds at a Bristol Rovers game. And Sheila samples a Bovril cocktail.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 08 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +00001699http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131208-1301.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30mn.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03kpkylAlice Waters, a Delicious RevolutionThe Californian chef and campaigner Alice Waters shares her story with Sheila Dillon; from early life in the 1960's counter-culture to influencing the food thinking of Presidents.
Alice Waters founded the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1971. Her life had been changed forever by experiences as a student in France and at UC Berkeley, where the Free Speech Movement lay the ground for the big political movements of the sixties. Alice and her restaurant went from these humble and idealistic beginnings to international recognition.
With a focus on local, organic ingredients and farmers' markets before they were widely celebrated she moved on to educate children and prisoners about growing and cooking food. In her own words Alice's food journey became a 'delicious revolution'.
As debates in the US rage about healthcare and the nation's relationship with food, this is a story of one woman's attempts to show the way to an alternative way to eat. It's a story that took her from small French taverns to Californian growers and even to the White House.
Producers: Rich Ward & Dan Saladino.Californian chef and campaigner Alice Waters shares her food story with Sheila Dillon.The Californian chef and campaigner Alice Waters shares her story with Sheila Dillon; from early life in the 1960's counter-culture to influencing the food thinking of Presidents.
Alice Waters founded the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1971. Her life had been changed forever by experiences as a student in France and at UC Berkeley, where the Free Speech Movement lay the ground for the big political movements of the sixties. Alice and her restaurant went from these humble and idealistic beginnings to international recognition.
With a focus on local, organic ingredients and farmers' markets before they were widely celebrated she moved on to educate children and prisoners about growing and cooking food. In her own words Alice's food journey became a 'delicious revolution'.
As debates in the US rage about healthcare and the nation's relationship with food, this is a story of one woman's attempts to show the way to an alternative way to eat. It's a story that took her from small French taverns to Californian growers and even to the White House.
Producers: Rich Ward & Dan Saladino.Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +00001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131201-1301.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30mw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03jyf6rCook BooksCookery Books of 2013.
Ahead of the Christmas shopping season Sheila Dillon reviews this year's best cook books. Sheila is joined by comedian Stephen K Amos and food writers Catherine Phipps and Fiona Beckett.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Ahead of the Christmas shopping season, a review of 2013's best and worst cook books.Cookery Books of 2013.
Ahead of the Christmas shopping season Sheila Dillon reviews this year's best cook books. Sheila is joined by comedian Stephen K Amos and food writers Catherine Phipps and Fiona Beckett.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +00001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131127-1509.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30n4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03j8srdWhy is Grimsby's smoked fish special?Fenland celery has recently joined a select list of only fifty-five British foods to achieve the same EU protection as champagne, stilton and Melton Mowbray pork pies.
But what difference will this status realistically make to the people who grow it?
Sheila Dillon investigates the longer term impact of PGI status on another iconic English product, Grimsby Traditional Smoked Fish.
She visits Grimsby fish market to meet the owner of the only remaining Grimsby-based fishing fleet, Andrew Allard, the chief executive of Grimsby Fish Merchants Association Steve Norton, and Richard Enderby, whose family have been smoking fish for generations.Sheila Dillon investigates the impact of PGI status on Grimsby traditional smoked fish.Fenland celery has recently joined a select list of only fifty-five British foods to achieve the same EU protection as champagne, stilton and Melton Mowbray pork pies.
But what difference will this status realistically make to the people who grow it?
Sheila Dillon investigates the longer term impact of PGI status on another iconic English product, Grimsby Traditional Smoked Fish.
She visits Grimsby fish market to meet the owner of the only remaining Grimsby-based fishing fleet, Andrew Allard, the chief executive of Grimsby Fish Merchants Association Steve Norton, and Richard Enderby, whose family have been smoking fish for generations.Sun, 17 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +00001654http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131118-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30nm.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03hmpwlThe Sugarman of BrazilLeontino Balbo - The Sugarman of Brazil. The incredible story of one maverick farmer who is trying to change the way we produce our food.
David Baker brings us a story from Sao Paulo about a man who is managing to produce sugar whilst also helping wildlife.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.The incredible story of one farmer who is trying to change the way we produce our food.Leontino Balbo - The Sugarman of Brazil. The incredible story of one maverick farmer who is trying to change the way we produce our food.
David Baker brings us a story from Sao Paulo about a man who is managing to produce sugar whilst also helping wildlife.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +00001438http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131110-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30ns.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03gtqbmHorsemeat - a Food Programme updateIn January of this year the Food Standards Agency confirmed results showing horsemeat had been found in supermarket burgers. Over the next few days and weeks, more DNA testing would reveal more beef products contained horsemeat.
Ten months on there have been no prosecutions or fines and we're still waiting to be told how the unlabelled horsemeat entered the food chain, and who put it there.
Criminal investigations are underway across Europe, led in the UK by the City of London Police. Most public information on the scandal however has come from two sources, a report by Ireland's Department of Agriculture and secondly, the hours of evidence heard by MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
The Food Programme explains what we know from these sources and also why an out of court settlement between two companies reveals much about one of the meat supply chains from the Netherlands into the UK.
The programme hears from the Guardian's Special Correspondent, Felicity Lawrence, whose updated book, Not On The Label, gives a detailed account of the scandal.
Reporters Ella McSweeney and Anna Holligan give the latest developments in Ireland and the Netherlands. The Grocer magazine's Julia Glotz, explains how our shopping habits have changed since the scandal and why this proving to be a problem for companies with no involvement in the contamination.
Where are the investigations heading and what chances of successful convictions? These are questions Sheila Dillon puts to Andrew Rhodes of the Food Standards Agency.
The programme is produced by Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon asks why no one has been prosecuted following on from the horsemeat scandal.In January of this year the Food Standards Agency confirmed results showing horsemeat had been found in supermarket burgers. Over the next few days and weeks, more DNA testing would reveal more beef products contained horsemeat.
Ten months on there have been no prosecutions or fines and we're still waiting to be told how the unlabelled horsemeat entered the food chain, and who put it there.
Criminal investigations are underway across Europe, led in the UK by the City of London Police. Most public information on the scandal however has come from two sources, a report by Ireland's Department of Agriculture and secondly, the hours of evidence heard by MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
The Food Programme explains what we know from these sources and also why an out of court settlement between two companies reveals much about one of the meat supply chains from the Netherlands into the UK.
The programme hears from the Guardian's Special Correspondent, Felicity Lawrence, whose updated book, Not On The Label, gives a detailed account of the scandal.
Reporters Ella McSweeney and Anna Holligan give the latest developments in Ireland and the Netherlands. The Grocer magazine's Julia Glotz, explains how our shopping habits have changed since the scandal and why this proving to be a problem for companies with no involvement in the contamination.
Where are the investigations heading and what chances of successful convictions? These are questions Sheila Dillon puts to Andrew Rhodes of the Food Standards Agency.
The programme is produced by Dan Saladino.Sun, 03 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +00001661http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131105-1029.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30p2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03g8dg9Restaurant ReviewsRestaurant reviews - who can we trust? Sheila Dillon investigates online review sites, newspaper reviews and guidelines to try and discover the impartiality of different criticism. She is aided by reviewer and editor Joe Warwick and previous restaurant inspector Peter Chapman.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.With an abundance of different restaurant reviews, Sheila Dillon asks who we can trust.Restaurant reviews - who can we trust? Sheila Dillon investigates online review sites, newspaper reviews and guidelines to try and discover the impartiality of different criticism. She is aided by reviewer and editor Joe Warwick and previous restaurant inspector Peter Chapman.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced in Bristol by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131028-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30pg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03f87bdCider: Britain's Most Misunderstood Drink?Award winning drinks writer Pete Brown joins Sheila Dillon to explain why bottles of cider should be the drink of choice on the UK's dinner tables.
A cider revival has been building for a number of years, many credit the "over-ice" advertising campaigns of the last decade for raising mainstream interest. What's happened since that time has been fascinating to watch for producers and drinkers alike.
At the premium, craft end of the cider business more and more small scale producers have arrived on the scene. Wales alone, which all but lost its cider making culture, now has more than 40 new ciders being produced. Pete Brown, author of the recently published, World's Best Cider, has travelled across the globe to document the fact that this is a revival that's spread far beyond the United Kingdom.
As part of this world tour Sheila and Pete tell the story of the Tieton Cider Works, a new cider business in Washington State in North West America. The Tieton producers are experimenting with new techniques and flavours, including the use of hops and natural fruits. This might sound like a step too far for many traditionalists and in the programme Sheila and Pete give their verdict.
Meanwhile in high-street pubs, supermarkets and off-licences more big brands have moved into the cider market, including Carlsberg and Stella Artois, they along with more familiar names like Bulmers and Thatchers have launched a wide range of fruit ciders. It's this part of the market that is really booming, but is it really cider? Sheila looks at the often confusing world of the ingredients and liquids that are allowed to become part of a glass of cider.
Produced by Dan Saladino.Drinks writer Pete Brown explains why bottles of cider should be on the UK's dinner tablesAward winning drinks writer Pete Brown joins Sheila Dillon to explain why bottles of cider should be the drink of choice on the UK's dinner tables.
A cider revival has been building for a number of years, many credit the "over-ice" advertising campaigns of the last decade for raising mainstream interest. What's happened since that time has been fascinating to watch for producers and drinkers alike.
At the premium, craft end of the cider business more and more small scale producers have arrived on the scene. Wales alone, which all but lost its cider making culture, now has more than 40 new ciders being produced. Pete Brown, author of the recently published, World's Best Cider, has travelled across the globe to document the fact that this is a revival that's spread far beyond the United Kingdom.
As part of this world tour Sheila and Pete tell the story of the Tieton Cider Works, a new cider business in Washington State in North West America. The Tieton producers are experimenting with new techniques and flavours, including the use of hops and natural fruits. This might sound like a step too far for many traditionalists and in the programme Sheila and Pete give their verdict.
Meanwhile in high-street pubs, supermarkets and off-licences more big brands have moved into the cider market, including Carlsberg and Stella Artois, they along with more familiar names like Bulmers and Thatchers have launched a wide range of fruit ciders. It's this part of the market that is really booming, but is it really cider? Sheila looks at the often confusing world of the ingredients and liquids that are allowed to become part of a glass of cider.
Produced by Dan Saladino.Sun, 20 Oct 2013 01:00:00 +01001655http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131021-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30py.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03ddz8pThe Great British HopThree decades ago Miles Warde worked on a hop farm in Herefordshire. Split shifts, tractors with lights, and when you weren't sleeping you'd be in the pub. Today that farm is now a vineyard, so the presenter began wondering what had happened to the great British hop.The first thing he discovered is that there are only sixty hop farmers left.The producer is Miles Warde.Can there really be only 60 hop farmers left in the UK? Miles Warde finds out.Three decades ago Miles Warde worked on a hop farm in Herefordshire. Split shifts, tractors with lights, and when you weren't sleeping you'd be in the pub. Today that farm is now a vineyard, so the presenter began wondering what had happened to the great British hop.The first thing he discovered is that there are only sixty hop farmers left.The producer is Miles Warde.Sun, 13 Oct 2013 01:00:00 +01001441http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131013-1315.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30q9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03cd950Cook Slow, Cook FastSheila Dillon meets a new generation of cooks using slow and pressure cookers. Sales of slow cookers and pressure cookers have increased over the past couple of years. Sheila visits Catherine Phipps to discover exciting dishes which can be made in a pressure cooker. And blogger Sharon Adetoro explains how the slow cooker has revolutionized her life.Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon meets a new generation of cooks using slow and pressure cookers.Sheila Dillon meets a new generation of cooks using slow and pressure cookers. Sales of slow cookers and pressure cookers have increased over the past couple of years. Sheila visits Catherine Phipps to discover exciting dishes which can be made in a pressure cooker. And blogger Sharon Adetoro explains how the slow cooker has revolutionized her life.Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sun, 06 Oct 2013 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20131007-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30qj.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03c2jwmThe School Food PlanThe School Food Plan, written by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, aims to increase take-up of school meals, improve the quality of food served and tackle student hunger and the early causes of health problems.
Released in July, it contains sixteen 'actions', from putting cooking in the curriculum to providing money for breakfast clubs to improving the 'image' of school food. John and Henry travelled to more than sixty schools in England, and found that there were three things in common to schools that are getting food right.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon reveals a typical day at the David Young Community Academy, a secondary school in Leeds that has embodied these three 'principles' since its opening in 2006.
The school, led by Principal Ros McMullen, has a school meals take-up of over seventy percent, compared with a national average of 43 percent. Sheila finds out how they've done this, and asks what other schools can learn from their approach.
Sheila also asks the Plan's co-author Henry Dimbleby and Jeanette Orrey, who inspired Jamie Oliver's original school food campaign, what actual differences we may see on the ground as a result of this new attempt to change the way that schoolchildren eat.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon investigates the new School Food Plan and asks if it can make real change.The School Food Plan, written by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, aims to increase take-up of school meals, improve the quality of food served and tackle student hunger and the early causes of health problems.
Released in July, it contains sixteen 'actions', from putting cooking in the curriculum to providing money for breakfast clubs to improving the 'image' of school food. John and Henry travelled to more than sixty schools in England, and found that there were three things in common to schools that are getting food right.
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon reveals a typical day at the David Young Community Academy, a secondary school in Leeds that has embodied these three 'principles' since its opening in 2006.
The school, led by Principal Ros McMullen, has a school meals take-up of over seventy percent, compared with a national average of 43 percent. Sheila finds out how they've done this, and asks what other schools can learn from their approach.
Sheila also asks the Plan's co-author Henry Dimbleby and Jeanette Orrey, who inspired Jamie Oliver's original school food campaign, what actual differences we may see on the ground as a result of this new attempt to change the way that schoolchildren eat.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +01001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130930-1054.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30qr.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03bpxxsA Quiet Food Revolution: The Story of Myrtle and Darina AllenMyrtle and Darina Allen, revolutionised food in Ireland with their cooking. From pioneering restaurants to groundbreaking farmers' markets, Dan Saladino tells the story of food and Ballymaloe.
In 1964 Myrtle Allen, a mother and farmers' wife turned her home in Cork into a restaurant like no other. Ingredients were grown on the family farm, foraged locally or sourced by producers nearby. Unusual for its time, menus were written on a daily basis and traditional Irish recipes were celebrated.
The restaurant influenced people's thinking on what a restaurant could be. In 1968 Myrtle was joined by a young ambitious cook from Dublin, Darina O'Connell. She married into the family and became the now much celebrated Darina Allen, cook, writer and television presenter.
The Food Programme looks at five decades of work, in food, by the two women, from the original restaurant Ballymaloe House to the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery school. It features adventures in Paris, pioneering ideas on how food should be bought and sold as well as campaigns to keep food traditions alive.
Producer: Dan Saladino.How two women, Myrtle and Darina Allen, revolutionised food in Ireland with their cooking.Myrtle and Darina Allen, revolutionised food in Ireland with their cooking. From pioneering restaurants to groundbreaking farmers' markets, Dan Saladino tells the story of food and Ballymaloe.
In 1964 Myrtle Allen, a mother and farmers' wife turned her home in Cork into a restaurant like no other. Ingredients were grown on the family farm, foraged locally or sourced by producers nearby. Unusual for its time, menus were written on a daily basis and traditional Irish recipes were celebrated.
The restaurant influenced people's thinking on what a restaurant could be. In 1968 Myrtle was joined by a young ambitious cook from Dublin, Darina O'Connell. She married into the family and became the now much celebrated Darina Allen, cook, writer and television presenter.
The Food Programme looks at five decades of work, in food, by the two women, from the original restaurant Ballymaloe House to the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery school. It features adventures in Paris, pioneering ideas on how food should be bought and sold as well as campaigns to keep food traditions alive.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +01001445http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130922-1315.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30r0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b03bg7gnBooze-free BarsBooze Free Bars - With an increasing number of us giving up alcohol, new bars are popping up across the country to provide an alternative to pub drinking.Hardeep Singh Kohli discovers the new breed of non-alcoholic bars.Booze Free Bars - With an increasing number of us giving up alcohol, new bars are popping up across the country to provide an alternative to pub drinking.Sun, 15 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +01001438http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130916-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30r7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b039yz4zThe Future of Street FoodCan street food change the world? Richard Johnson looks at ideas being tried around the world, from food carts setting up in "food deserts" to night time food markets being set up to transform city life.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Can street food change the world? Richard Johnson on new ideas unfolding around the world.Can street food change the world? Richard Johnson looks at ideas being tried around the world, from food carts setting up in "food deserts" to night time food markets being set up to transform city life.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 08 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +01001625http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130908-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30rq.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b039p0vfDIY FoodDIY Foods - Tim Hayward meets the people taking ambitious food production into their own hands. Andy Mahoney makes his own cheese in the spare room of his house in South London. Hannes Viljoen makes his own biltong to give the taste of his native South Africa to his friends and family. And three friends in Guildford - Nick McDuff, Dick Nevitt and Nevin Stewart - have invented a new method for making cider in your kitchen.
Presented by Tim Hayward and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Tim Hayward meets the people taking ambitious food production into their own hands.DIY Foods - Tim Hayward meets the people taking ambitious food production into their own hands. Andy Mahoney makes his own cheese in the spare room of his house in South London. Hannes Viljoen makes his own biltong to give the taste of his native South Africa to his friends and family. And three friends in Guildford - Nick McDuff, Dick Nevitt and Nevin Stewart - have invented a new method for making cider in your kitchen.
Presented by Tim Hayward and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130902-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30s9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b039bg57In Praise of BaconAn Ode To The Bacon Butty. Hardeep Singh Kohli's personal plea to the nation to reflect on a food of wonder: bacon. Hardeep goes on a roadtrip around Scotland meeting bacon eaters, makers, regalers and producers.
Producer: Emma Weatherill.Hardeep Singh Kohli's personal plea to the nation to reflect on a food of wonder: bacon.An Ode To The Bacon Butty. Hardeep Singh Kohli's personal plea to the nation to reflect on a food of wonder: bacon. Hardeep goes on a roadtrip around Scotland meeting bacon eaters, makers, regalers and producers.
Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sun, 25 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +01001670http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130825-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30ss.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b038x4wxFeeding the DetectivesDan Saladino looks at how food has increasingly become a big ingredient in crime fiction.Dan Saladino looks at how food has increasingly become a big ingredient in crime fiction.Dan Saladino looks at how food has increasingly become a big ingredient in crime fiction.Sun, 18 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +01001681http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130818-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30t2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b038bmlnA World Stage for Food and MusicEvery year at the WOMAD festival, one tent in a field in Wiltshire becomes the venue for a remarkable meeting of food and music. Solo artists and bands from all over the world gather to share recipes and stories with the audience, who get to taste dishes created in front of them, often by musicians who have never cooked in public before.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon is at the 'Taste the World' tent and uncovers some of the food stories and experiences that have shaped these unique performances.
On the journey Sheila encounters Guo Yue, who grew up in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution and is now a master flautist and respected cook. There's also Nano Stern from Chile, Québécois band Le Vent Du Nord as well as South Louisiana's Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.
In the company of Taste the World's host Roger de Wolf, there will be roux bubbling, passionate story-telling and a culinary phone-call to the deep wilderness.How cooks from 12 countries gathered to share food and music on stage at Womad.Every year at the WOMAD festival, one tent in a field in Wiltshire becomes the venue for a remarkable meeting of food and music. Solo artists and bands from all over the world gather to share recipes and stories with the audience, who get to taste dishes created in front of them, often by musicians who have never cooked in public before.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon is at the 'Taste the World' tent and uncovers some of the food stories and experiences that have shaped these unique performances.
On the journey Sheila encounters Guo Yue, who grew up in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution and is now a master flautist and respected cook. There's also Nano Stern from Chile, Québécois band Le Vent Du Nord as well as South Louisiana's Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.
In the company of Taste the World's host Roger de Wolf, there will be roux bubbling, passionate story-telling and a culinary phone-call to the deep wilderness.Sun, 11 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +01001687http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130811-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30t9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0381l43The Banana - fascinating history, uncertain futureSheila Dillon asks why the future of the UK's most popular fruit, the banana, is uncertain.
Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon asks why the future of the UK's most popular fruit, the banana, is uncertainSheila Dillon asks why the future of the UK's most popular fruit, the banana, is uncertain.
Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sun, 04 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +01001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130805-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30tg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b037s8mfSkint FoodiesSheila Dillon meets the cooks specialising in great food on small budgets, part of a world of food blogging influenced by life of benefits, periods of homelessness and shopping budgets that can be as little as ten pounds a week.
One of the highest profile blogs is "A Girl called Jack", written by Jack Monroe, a single mum who lives in Southend-On-Sea. Out of work, having complications with benefits and reduced to feeding her small boy Weetabix mashed with water, she went online to share her experience and started writing about food.
What followed was a record of some of the most savvy shopping tips to be found anywhere, from dishes that can be cooked for 27p a portion, through to a forensic guide to every supermarket shelf, freezer cabinet and fresh produce aisle.
In a recent report by Oxfam, the numbers of people now using food banks has reached 500,000, linked, charities say, to recent reforms of the benefits system. The government disputes this link, but food insecurity is increasingly found in every region of the UK.
Others who have taken to writing about their efforts to cook and eat well on low budgets include
Belfast born, now London based, Miss South who along with her brother, who lives in Manchester, Mr North, share recipes and pictures of the food they enjoy. Miss South recently came out as being "properly poor" in a blog posted last November and her writing has inspired others who need to cook on food budgets hovering between £15 and £20 a week.
The third blogger in the programme is Tony, aka Skint Foodie. Once a high flying, restaurant going professional, his writing documents a determination to eat well despite losing everything to alcoholism.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon meets the cooks who've specialised in making great food on very low incomes.Sheila Dillon meets the cooks specialising in great food on small budgets, part of a world of food blogging influenced by life of benefits, periods of homelessness and shopping budgets that can be as little as ten pounds a week.
One of the highest profile blogs is "A Girl called Jack", written by Jack Monroe, a single mum who lives in Southend-On-Sea. Out of work, having complications with benefits and reduced to feeding her small boy Weetabix mashed with water, she went online to share her experience and started writing about food.
What followed was a record of some of the most savvy shopping tips to be found anywhere, from dishes that can be cooked for 27p a portion, through to a forensic guide to every supermarket shelf, freezer cabinet and fresh produce aisle.
In a recent report by Oxfam, the numbers of people now using food banks has reached 500,000, linked, charities say, to recent reforms of the benefits system. The government disputes this link, but food insecurity is increasingly found in every region of the UK.
Others who have taken to writing about their efforts to cook and eat well on low budgets include
Belfast born, now London based, Miss South who along with her brother, who lives in Manchester, Mr North, share recipes and pictures of the food they enjoy. Miss South recently came out as being "properly poor" in a blog posted last November and her writing has inspired others who need to cook on food budgets hovering between £15 and £20 a week.
The third blogger in the programme is Tony, aka Skint Foodie. Once a high flying, restaurant going professional, his writing documents a determination to eat well despite losing everything to alcoholism.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 28 Jul 2013 01:00:00 +01001663http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130728-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30tm.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b037gnxkRethinking VeganismThe word 'vegan' has for the nearly seventy years of its existence - represented a diet and a way of eating that has not captured hearts - or stomachs - beyond a small, dedicated group of people calling themselves vegan.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon hears from two influential and meat-loving food writers, Mark Bittman and Alex Renton, who have found themselves looking again at a vegan plant-based diet.
Sheila Dillon joins in at a Vegan Potluck and discovers a new chain of German vegan supermarkets and asks if there is a wider shift in attitudes towards veganism underway.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.How a new generation is rethinking and embracing a meat and dairy free diet.The word 'vegan' has for the nearly seventy years of its existence - represented a diet and a way of eating that has not captured hearts - or stomachs - beyond a small, dedicated group of people calling themselves vegan.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon hears from two influential and meat-loving food writers, Mark Bittman and Alex Renton, who have found themselves looking again at a vegan plant-based diet.
Sheila Dillon joins in at a Vegan Potluck and discovers a new chain of German vegan supermarkets and asks if there is a wider shift in attitudes towards veganism underway.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 21 Jul 2013 01:00:00 +01001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130721-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30tz.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b037524tValentine Warner and Magnus Nilsson's Food Exchange, Part 2In part two of their exchange of food stories Magnus Nilsson invites Valentine Warner to venture into the lakes of Sweden's Jamtland in search of wild trout.
In the summer the sun remains in the sky and so at midnight they head into the forests of northern Sweden to catch brown trout, an important and traditional food for traditional communities in the region.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Magnus Nilsson and Valentine Warner fish the lakes of Sweden's Jamtland for wild trout.In part two of their exchange of food stories Magnus Nilsson invites Valentine Warner to venture into the lakes of Sweden's Jamtland in search of wild trout.
In the summer the sun remains in the sky and so at midnight they head into the forests of northern Sweden to catch brown trout, an important and traditional food for traditional communities in the region.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 14 Jul 2013 01:00:00 +01001652http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130714-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30vf.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b036tqpnValentine Warner and Magnus Nilsson's Food ExchangeIn a two part special Valentine Warner and Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson swap food stories from their own very different food cultures.
Magnus Nilsson comes from the hunting culture of northern Sweden, a region called Jamtland. The long, harsh winters and shorter but still intense summers, inform this now world famous chef's work. Valentine Warner has a lifelong passion for seasonal cooking and sourcing ingredients from the wild.
In part one, Valentine invites Magnus to venture into woodland in east Sussex woods to search for British wild boar.
In southern England indigenous wild boar populations were wiped out generations ago, but in recent years, after farmed boar escaped into the wild, measures have had to be put in place to control pockets where a new population has been outgrowing their habitat.
Valentine and Magnus meet Simon Barr, an experienced hunter, and the man licensed to control a population of boar on the Sussex and Kent border to share a food experience long disappeared, to hunt and cook a British wild boar.
In part two, Valentine travels to Jamtland to experience a food story Magnus is determined to share.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Valentine Warner and chef Magnus Nilsson swap food stories. In part one, British wild boarIn a two part special Valentine Warner and Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson swap food stories from their own very different food cultures.
Magnus Nilsson comes from the hunting culture of northern Sweden, a region called Jamtland. The long, harsh winters and shorter but still intense summers, inform this now world famous chef's work. Valentine Warner has a lifelong passion for seasonal cooking and sourcing ingredients from the wild.
In part one, Valentine invites Magnus to venture into woodland in east Sussex woods to search for British wild boar.
In southern England indigenous wild boar populations were wiped out generations ago, but in recent years, after farmed boar escaped into the wild, measures have had to be put in place to control pockets where a new population has been outgrowing their habitat.
Valentine and Magnus meet Simon Barr, an experienced hunter, and the man licensed to control a population of boar on the Sussex and Kent border to share a food experience long disappeared, to hunt and cook a British wild boar.
In part two, Valentine travels to Jamtland to experience a food story Magnus is determined to share.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 07 Jul 2013 01:00:00 +01001671http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130707-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30w5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b036jc4dButter, a delicious story of decline and revivalSheila Dillon meets a new generation of producers making butter special again.Sheila Dillon meets a new generation of producers making butter special again.Sheila Dillon meets a new generation of producers making butter special again.Sun, 30 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +01001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130630-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30wq.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0366xsdFood, game changers and career moversSheila Dillon looks at the award winners who are leaving high flying careers to follow their passions and dreams in food production
Producer: Maggie Ayre.A look at the award winners who leaving high flying careers to follow their food passions.Sheila Dillon looks at the award winners who are leaving high flying careers to follow their passions and dreams in food production
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 23 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +01001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130623-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30x8.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b02y0wnmThe chocolate world of Mott GreenThe story of Mott Green, cocoa farmer and chocolate maker, who was changing the industry one bar at a time.
Born in New York, this gifted engineer and mathematician left Manhattan in his twenties to explore the Caribbean. He ended up in Grenada, fell in love with cocoa and with a local drink, "cocoa tea".
Despite this chocolate tradition and Grenada having some of the finest cocoa trees in the world, farmers were leaving the land and abandoning their crop because of low prices. Mott Green took it upon himself to change that.
By using hand built machines and creating a co-operative, Mott managed to build a chocolate factory in a tropical climate, the first time this had been done. Sales of his quality bars grew and cocoa farming on the island once again became profitable.
His success was documented in a film, Nothing Like Chocolate, and he was celebrated in Grenada as someone who had not only made a big impact on the island's economy but also changed thinking about chocolate around the world.
Tragically, shortly after the Food Programme recorded with Mott Green he was killed in an accident as he was repairing some equipment. The programme follows him through the chocolate making process and as he embarked on a three month voyage transporting his bars across the Atlantic using only wind and solar power.
Producer: Dan Saladino.The story of Mott Green, Grenadian cocoa farmer, who tried to change the chocolate world.The story of Mott Green, cocoa farmer and chocolate maker, who was changing the industry one bar at a time.
Born in New York, this gifted engineer and mathematician left Manhattan in his twenties to explore the Caribbean. He ended up in Grenada, fell in love with cocoa and with a local drink, "cocoa tea".
Despite this chocolate tradition and Grenada having some of the finest cocoa trees in the world, farmers were leaving the land and abandoning their crop because of low prices. Mott Green took it upon himself to change that.
By using hand built machines and creating a co-operative, Mott managed to build a chocolate factory in a tropical climate, the first time this had been done. Sales of his quality bars grew and cocoa farming on the island once again became profitable.
His success was documented in a film, Nothing Like Chocolate, and he was celebrated in Grenada as someone who had not only made a big impact on the island's economy but also changed thinking about chocolate around the world.
Tragically, shortly after the Food Programme recorded with Mott Green he was killed in an accident as he was repairing some equipment. The programme follows him through the chocolate making process and as he embarked on a three month voyage transporting his bars across the Atlantic using only wind and solar power.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +01001694http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130616-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30xw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b02x5j69Bereavement and FoodIn the throes of bereavement food can seem unimportant. People lose both their appetite and their sense of taste. But food and cooking can also play a positive and healing role in helping individuals come to term with their loss. Sheila Dillon explores the healing power of food and how it can help to remember and recapture memories of those who have died.
Sheila visited the Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted which runs cookery courses for those who've been bereaved. Some of those taking part had lost the will to cook - especially the prospect of making meals for one rather than two. Others found they'd lost the partner or parent who'd made all the meals and found themselves not only grieving but without the knowledge and skills to cook for themselves. They explained how a simple course has given them far more than just a collection of recipes.
The programme also looks at the legacy of recipes which can be a way to remember loved ones and connect with them after they have passed on. Over the years Bridget Blair has gathered together the recipes of relatives, friends and neighbours for posterity and while the book is covered in spatters and finger marks her children are keen to inherit the secrets of those recipes and the memories. Meanwhile Rob Tizzard is trying to replicate his late mother's bread pudding recipe from memory which somehow never seems to come out exactly the way she made it but brings him joy trying.
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon explores how bereavement can change our relationship with food.In the throes of bereavement food can seem unimportant. People lose both their appetite and their sense of taste. But food and cooking can also play a positive and healing role in helping individuals come to term with their loss. Sheila Dillon explores the healing power of food and how it can help to remember and recapture memories of those who have died.
Sheila visited the Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted which runs cookery courses for those who've been bereaved. Some of those taking part had lost the will to cook - especially the prospect of making meals for one rather than two. Others found they'd lost the partner or parent who'd made all the meals and found themselves not only grieving but without the knowledge and skills to cook for themselves. They explained how a simple course has given them far more than just a collection of recipes.
The programme also looks at the legacy of recipes which can be a way to remember loved ones and connect with them after they have passed on. Over the years Bridget Blair has gathered together the recipes of relatives, friends and neighbours for posterity and while the book is covered in spatters and finger marks her children are keen to inherit the secrets of those recipes and the memories. Meanwhile Rob Tizzard is trying to replicate his late mother's bread pudding recipe from memory which somehow never seems to come out exactly the way she made it but brings him joy trying.
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sun, 09 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +01001684http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130609-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30yf.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b02lrl39Michael Pollan: Why Cooking MattersSheila Dillon speaks to the writer Michael Pollan on the craft, science and pleasures of cooking.
In his new book, Cooked, "a love letter to cooking", Pollan who is one of the world's most popular thinkers on food reflects on the value of being a cook and preparing our own food.
From understanding the physics and culture of the barbecue to the art of fermentation, Pollan has spent the last two years researching cooking techniques around the world to help explain how transforming food has influenced our evolution and development over millions of years.
Cooking, says Pollan, is "baked into our DNA", we are "the cooking animal". For that reason he examines what we've lost as rates of domestic cooking have declined since the 1960's and what it will take for more of us to make a meaningful return to the kitchen.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon speaks to Michael Pollan on the craft, science and pleasures of cooking.Sheila Dillon speaks to the writer Michael Pollan on the craft, science and pleasures of cooking.
In his new book, Cooked, "a love letter to cooking", Pollan who is one of the world's most popular thinkers on food reflects on the value of being a cook and preparing our own food.
From understanding the physics and culture of the barbecue to the art of fermentation, Pollan has spent the last two years researching cooking techniques around the world to help explain how transforming food has influenced our evolution and development over millions of years.
Cooking, says Pollan, is "baked into our DNA", we are "the cooking animal". For that reason he examines what we've lost as rates of domestic cooking have declined since the 1960's and what it will take for more of us to make a meaningful return to the kitchen.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 02 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +01001639http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130604-1430.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30z4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b02116zcSugar: Pure, White and Deadly?Sheila Dillon finds out why the debate about the role of sugar in our lives is hotting up. Recent books and news stories have re-awoken a forty year debate about what makes us fat.
Robert H. Lustig is a paediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco. A lecture he gave on sugar has attracted more than three million hits. He makes a case that sugar is problematic, not just because it contains calories, but because the fructose component of sucrose interacts with our bodies in a very specific way.
His claim that sugar not only causes obesity but a wide range of other conditions including type 2 diabetes, is disputed, but he's succeeded in capturing public attention. Sheila Dillon speaks to Robert Lustig about his research, and she explores other reasons why sugar is back in the headlines.Sheila Dillon finds out why the debate about the role of sugar in our lives is hotting up.Sheila Dillon finds out why the debate about the role of sugar in our lives is hotting up. Recent books and news stories have re-awoken a forty year debate about what makes us fat.
Robert H. Lustig is a paediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco. A lecture he gave on sugar has attracted more than three million hits. He makes a case that sugar is problematic, not just because it contains calories, but because the fructose component of sucrose interacts with our bodies in a very specific way.
His claim that sugar not only causes obesity but a wide range of other conditions including type 2 diabetes, is disputed, but he's succeeded in capturing public attention. Sheila Dillon speaks to Robert Lustig about his research, and she explores other reasons why sugar is back in the headlines.Sun, 26 May 2013 01:00:00 +01001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130528-1026.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q30zx.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01slqcmFood, Cancer and Well-BeingSheila Dillon asks if food and nutrition should have a bigger role in treating cancer. Is the medical profession too reluctant to see food as an essential component in improving the well-being of cancer patients
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon asks if food and nutrition should have a bigger role in treating cancer.Sheila Dillon asks if food and nutrition should have a bigger role in treating cancer. Is the medical profession too reluctant to see food as an essential component in improving the well-being of cancer patients
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:00 +01001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130519-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q310h.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01shstpA Life Through Wine: Jancis RobinsonJancis Robinson remembers the specific bottle of wine which ignited her passion for both drinking wine and writing about it. She began reviewing for the University paper 40 years ago and has grown to become a world renowned author and critic on the subject.
Sheila Dillon explores some of the big trends that have taken place during her career, from the growth of English wines, to the rise of supermarkets as the wine sellers to the nation.
She talks about those who influenced her in the early years of tasting and writing and what she makes of other reviewers like Robert Parker who can decide the fate of a wine around the world.
Produced in Bristol by Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon speaks to world-renowned wine writer and critic Jancis Robinson.Jancis Robinson remembers the specific bottle of wine which ignited her passion for both drinking wine and writing about it. She began reviewing for the University paper 40 years ago and has grown to become a world renowned author and critic on the subject.
Sheila Dillon explores some of the big trends that have taken place during her career, from the growth of English wines, to the rise of supermarkets as the wine sellers to the nation.
She talks about those who influenced her in the early years of tasting and writing and what she makes of other reviewers like Robert Parker who can decide the fate of a wine around the world.
Produced in Bristol by Dan Saladino.Sun, 12 May 2013 01:00:00 +01001689http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130516-1459.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q310s.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01sd1kdDigital Dishes - life stories through recipesInside one kitchen in Bristol, thirteen strangers from all over Europe gathered to share food and stories about food. The Food Programme was there to capture it all as the cooking got under way.
As well as resulting in one of the most diverse menus ever assembled it was an event that explained why cous-cous can spark conversation, how a special Bulgarian dish can help tell your fortune and why a hippy commune in 1970's Exeter was ahead of its time in how we think about food.
This unique event was the result of a project run by the Watershed arts centre in Bristol. The thirteen Europeans were taking part in a workshop to learn more about digital technology, food however, was the subject they would use to make this happen.
In one day, participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Turkey, France and the UK would come up with a dish that would help them tell their life stories. In Bristol they'd shop, cook, share their food and their stories. The progamme captured this special food event and a restaurant and menu that would exist for one night only.
Hear the wonders of Bulgarian Banitsa, the pleasures of a Turkish Karnıyarık and the delights of a two hour meal over Algerian cous-cous.
Producers: Dan Saladino and Hannah Briggs.Inside one kitchen, 13 strangers from all over Europe share food and stories.Inside one kitchen in Bristol, thirteen strangers from all over Europe gathered to share food and stories about food. The Food Programme was there to capture it all as the cooking got under way.
As well as resulting in one of the most diverse menus ever assembled it was an event that explained why cous-cous can spark conversation, how a special Bulgarian dish can help tell your fortune and why a hippy commune in 1970's Exeter was ahead of its time in how we think about food.
This unique event was the result of a project run by the Watershed arts centre in Bristol. The thirteen Europeans were taking part in a workshop to learn more about digital technology, food however, was the subject they would use to make this happen.
In one day, participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Turkey, France and the UK would come up with a dish that would help them tell their life stories. In Bristol they'd shop, cook, share their food and their stories. The progamme captured this special food event and a restaurant and menu that would exist for one night only.
Hear the wonders of Bulgarian Banitsa, the pleasures of a Turkish Karnıyarık and the delights of a two hour meal over Algerian cous-cous.
Producers: Dan Saladino and Hannah Briggs.Sun, 05 May 2013 01:00:00 +01001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130505-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3112.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01s7vzzBlack Pudding v Boudin NoirCharles Campion reports from Normandy in France as he helps judge the world black pudding championships, which features entries from Japanese, Austrian and Irish butchers.
Each year the "knights of the black pudding", a long established organisation of food lovers, hold the annual Foire au Boudin. Nearly six hundred butchers from around the world enter the competition to help celebrate the ancient dish.
As Charles discovers most of the world's great food cultures have some form of blood sausage and they vary in size, shape, texture and flavour.
Although we've been making this dish since the arrival of the Romans, many parts of Britain have fallen out of love with the black pudding. The simple recipe of blood, barley, fat, onions and spices is affordable, delicious and a complete meal, and there are signs of a chef led revival.
The competition, and the work on display of some extremely creative butchers provides many delicious reasons why this humble food really is worthy of a revival. Young chef and rising star James Winter based in Gloucestshire, also provides some tips on how to cook black pudding.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Charles Campion reveals the secrets of great black pudding at the 'world championships'.Charles Campion reports from Normandy in France as he helps judge the world black pudding championships, which features entries from Japanese, Austrian and Irish butchers.
Each year the "knights of the black pudding", a long established organisation of food lovers, hold the annual Foire au Boudin. Nearly six hundred butchers from around the world enter the competition to help celebrate the ancient dish.
As Charles discovers most of the world's great food cultures have some form of blood sausage and they vary in size, shape, texture and flavour.
Although we've been making this dish since the arrival of the Romans, many parts of Britain have fallen out of love with the black pudding. The simple recipe of blood, barley, fat, onions and spices is affordable, delicious and a complete meal, and there are signs of a chef led revival.
The competition, and the work on display of some extremely creative butchers provides many delicious reasons why this humble food really is worthy of a revival. Young chef and rising star James Winter based in Gloucestshire, also provides some tips on how to cook black pudding.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +01001425http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130430-1745.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q311d.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01s395fFood on the RoadThere's an army of lorries at work right now, transporting food and other goods all over the country. They keep food on our shelves and without them the UK's economy would collapse within days.
But what's it like to work, live - and eat - on the road?
Reporter Andrew Webb spends a day at the Orwell Crossing truck stop near the port of Felixstowe, with its 24-hour restaurant. Truck driver Dougie Rankine shares an audio diary of his perspective from high up in his cab, searching for the right meal at all times of day and night. Veteran driver John Eden recalls stopping off for nocturnal breakfasts in a notorious truck stop after negotiating 'suicide alley'.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon reveals a food story on very big wheels.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon goes trucking and finds out what it's like to work, live and eat on the roadThere's an army of lorries at work right now, transporting food and other goods all over the country. They keep food on our shelves and without them the UK's economy would collapse within days.
But what's it like to work, live - and eat - on the road?
Reporter Andrew Webb spends a day at the Orwell Crossing truck stop near the port of Felixstowe, with its 24-hour restaurant. Truck driver Dougie Rankine shares an audio diary of his perspective from high up in his cab, searching for the right meal at all times of day and night. Veteran driver John Eden recalls stopping off for nocturnal breakfasts in a notorious truck stop after negotiating 'suicide alley'.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon reveals a food story on very big wheels.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +01001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130421-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q311t.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01s0323Chilli BritanniaTim Hayward bites into Britain's growing chilli scene, from growers to expert eaters and those who like their chillies red hot.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Tim Hayward bites into Britain's growing chilli scene, from growers to expert eaters.Tim Hayward bites into Britain's growing chilli scene, from growers to expert eaters and those who like their chillies red hot.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130418-1256.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3124.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01rv39bMadhur Jaffrey, a life through foodSheila Dillon meets Madhur Jaffrey, Indian cooking legend, who's just returned from the sub-continent on her latest adventures into its vast food culture.
This year the actress, broadcaster and food writer turns eighty. She left Delhi sixty years ago to pursue a career in the west, but still remains the world's most influential and respected exponents of Indian cuisine.
With her BBC television series and more than fifteen books she's managed to convey the rich history and flavours of authentic Indian regional cooking. Now, as India becomes one of the most important economies in the world, and a nation increasingly interested in western tastes and modern brands, Sheila meets Madhur to reflect on her early food life in Delhi and to ask her about a rapidly changing India.
This is a life story of exquisite family meals in the 1930's that mixed British and Indian traditions, of school lunches where food would be shared between friends from very different food backgrounds and where watching a mushroom dish, "devoured by greedy men" was one of the images that led her to leave India.
The programme also includes a fascinating encounter between Madhur and a British food tradition, chips with curry sauce.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Madhur Jaffrey, Indian cooking legend, returns to India and tells her food life story.Sheila Dillon meets Madhur Jaffrey, Indian cooking legend, who's just returned from the sub-continent on her latest adventures into its vast food culture.
This year the actress, broadcaster and food writer turns eighty. She left Delhi sixty years ago to pursue a career in the west, but still remains the world's most influential and respected exponents of Indian cuisine.
With her BBC television series and more than fifteen books she's managed to convey the rich history and flavours of authentic Indian regional cooking. Now, as India becomes one of the most important economies in the world, and a nation increasingly interested in western tastes and modern brands, Sheila meets Madhur to reflect on her early food life in Delhi and to ask her about a rapidly changing India.
This is a life story of exquisite family meals in the 1930's that mixed British and Indian traditions, of school lunches where food would be shared between friends from very different food backgrounds and where watching a mushroom dish, "devoured by greedy men" was one of the images that led her to leave India.
The programme also includes a fascinating encounter between Madhur and a British food tradition, chips with curry sauce.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 07 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +01001649http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130408-1956.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q312c.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01rqgz5Fasting, old and newSheila Dillon looks at the practice of fasting - then and now - from a religious and medical perspective
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon looks at the practice of fasting from a religious and medical perspective.Sheila Dillon looks at the practice of fasting - then and now - from a religious and medical perspective
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +00001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130401-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q312m.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01rl1dlMarmaladeEach January, with the arrival of the seville oranges, hundreds of people across the UK ritually boil and jar batches of marmalade, following family recipes and leaving their kitchens sticky and fragrant with citrus. But who's eating it? For years sales figures have been in decline and the under 25s say it's 'boring'.
So Tim Hayward heads out to a little corner of Cumbria to the Dalemain estate where the amber preserve is celebrated at the Marmalade Championships. From 'dark and chunky' to 'any citrus' hundreds of home-made and artisan examples have been entered for judging while enthusiasts dressed in orange accessories browse the presentations.
He asks whether marmalade, once commonplace on British breakfast tables, is dying a slow death or becoming the preserve of the wealthy or an enthusiastic elite. He also learns a worrying truth - could foreign marmalade makers now be beating us at making the best?
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Tim Hayward asks if Britain can still hold its own in the competitive marmalade stakes.Each January, with the arrival of the seville oranges, hundreds of people across the UK ritually boil and jar batches of marmalade, following family recipes and leaving their kitchens sticky and fragrant with citrus. But who's eating it? For years sales figures have been in decline and the under 25s say it's 'boring'.
So Tim Hayward heads out to a little corner of Cumbria to the Dalemain estate where the amber preserve is celebrated at the Marmalade Championships. From 'dark and chunky' to 'any citrus' hundreds of home-made and artisan examples have been entered for judging while enthusiasts dressed in orange accessories browse the presentations.
He asks whether marmalade, once commonplace on British breakfast tables, is dying a slow death or becoming the preserve of the wealthy or an enthusiastic elite. He also learns a worrying truth - could foreign marmalade makers now be beating us at making the best?
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +00001658http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130325-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q312x.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01rfy59Our Changing TasteSheila Dillon looks at how our sense of taste develops throughout our lifetimes, and what happens when we lose it, through old age, illness or injury. Two hundred thousand people a year seek medical help over loss of taste, Sheila hears the story of Marlena Spieler, a food writer who lost her sense of taste following a road accident.How our sense of taste develops throughout our lifetimes and what happens when we lose it.Sheila Dillon looks at how our sense of taste develops throughout our lifetimes, and what happens when we lose it, through old age, illness or injury. Two hundred thousand people a year seek medical help over loss of taste, Sheila hears the story of Marlena Spieler, a food writer who lost her sense of taste following a road accident.Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +00001677http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130318-1540.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3137.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01r95hjForest foods, Africa's secret ingredientsSheila Dillon explores Africa's forest foods, both an emergency larder and source of wonderful flavours.
With the support of Comic Relief and funds raised through Red Nose Day work is underway to tap into the potential of this neglected food source.
From Shea butter to Maringa, Sheila tastes her way through this story with Tony Hill of the charity Tree Aid, and Malcolm Riley, "the African Chef", whose cooking career started in Zambia. On the menu, prawns stir-fried in an ingredient from the baobab tree, and as Malcolm explains, it's "modern African cuisine".
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon explores Africa's forest foods, emergency larder and source of flavour.Sheila Dillon explores Africa's forest foods, both an emergency larder and source of wonderful flavours.
With the support of Comic Relief and funds raised through Red Nose Day work is underway to tap into the potential of this neglected food source.
From Shea butter to Maringa, Sheila tastes her way through this story with Tony Hill of the charity Tree Aid, and Malcolm Riley, "the African Chef", whose cooking career started in Zambia. On the menu, prawns stir-fried in an ingredient from the baobab tree, and as Malcolm explains, it's "modern African cuisine".
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +00001443http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130311-1041.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q313r.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01r50z0The Death of Three Square Meals?Hectic lifestyles are increasing the demand for ready-made, 'grab n go' convenient foods. Today's time pressed commuters buy bagels at the station or carry breakfast bars in their briefcase. Retailers have led this change - offering snack size portions and handy grab packs to stave off hunger. Gourmet 'food on the go' has been identified as a key growth sector and sales are increasing. Sheila Dillon asks if, in our hurry, we've forgotten the value of three square meals a day, eaten at a table at set mealtimes.
She meets restaurant guide writer Richard Harden who takes her on a whistle-stop tour of the speedy choices on offer including the fashion for "the small plate menu". There's now no distinction between lunch and dinner - if you fancy a steak at 4pm most cities will be able to help. Consequently people seem to be losing track of when and how much they can eat. It's all just one long munchfest.
Sheila also hears from staff and children at a Nottinghamshire school where pupils were arriving having had no breakfast and sometimes no dinner. Their response was to offer free breakfasts to those from families on low incomes but their experience offers some revealing insights into the eating habits of children across all incomes.
With so many snacks to choose from, do those "on the go" have more nutritious options than simply crisps and a chocolate bar or should we be asking if there is a more serious cost to this new bite-sized way of eating? What is the true cost of speed and convenience?
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sheila Dillon asks if snacking is killing the tradition of three square meals a day.Hectic lifestyles are increasing the demand for ready-made, 'grab n go' convenient foods. Today's time pressed commuters buy bagels at the station or carry breakfast bars in their briefcase. Retailers have led this change - offering snack size portions and handy grab packs to stave off hunger. Gourmet 'food on the go' has been identified as a key growth sector and sales are increasing. Sheila Dillon asks if, in our hurry, we've forgotten the value of three square meals a day, eaten at a table at set mealtimes.
She meets restaurant guide writer Richard Harden who takes her on a whistle-stop tour of the speedy choices on offer including the fashion for "the small plate menu". There's now no distinction between lunch and dinner - if you fancy a steak at 4pm most cities will be able to help. Consequently people seem to be losing track of when and how much they can eat. It's all just one long munchfest.
Sheila also hears from staff and children at a Nottinghamshire school where pupils were arriving having had no breakfast and sometimes no dinner. Their response was to offer free breakfasts to those from families on low incomes but their experience offers some revealing insights into the eating habits of children across all incomes.
With so many snacks to choose from, do those "on the go" have more nutritious options than simply crisps and a chocolate bar or should we be asking if there is a more serious cost to this new bite-sized way of eating? What is the true cost of speed and convenience?
Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +00001675http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130225-1530.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3142.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01qsrhnGarlic, the wonder bulbIt's an ingredient that is key to many cuisines of the world, and has a prominent role in folklore and traditional medical systems- although some people avoid it because of the passions that it is said to arouse. Sheila Dillon explores a bulb which provokes strong feelings - both culinary and otherwise - and is now to be found in most of our kitchens: garlic.
The United Kingdom is importing five times the amount of garlic than twenty-five years ago. Some British growers are smelling an opportunity for home-grown bulbs, but how much have we stopped to think about the way we use this enigmatic 'allium'?Sheila Dillon explores a bulb which arouses strong feelings - and aromas - garlic.It's an ingredient that is key to many cuisines of the world, and has a prominent role in folklore and traditional medical systems- although some people avoid it because of the passions that it is said to arouse. Sheila Dillon explores a bulb which provokes strong feelings - both culinary and otherwise - and is now to be found in most of our kitchens: garlic.
The United Kingdom is importing five times the amount of garlic than twenty-five years ago. Some British growers are smelling an opportunity for home-grown bulbs, but how much have we stopped to think about the way we use this enigmatic 'allium'?Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +00001645http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130220-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q314f.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01qkxbbFood on a PensionSheila Dillon investigates the food lives of people surviving on the basic state pension.
To fully understand the experience of living on a small income and feeling the limitations of older age, food writer Andrew Webb volunteered to spend a week living as his 80 year old self.
Kitted out in a suit that replicates some of the physical challenges of someone twice his age Andrew shopped, cooked, ate and dined for a week as a pensioner.
His right knee was stiff, he was felt unbalanced by weights placed on his ankle and his eyesight was restricted by a pair of glasses replicating a loss of vision. He was also given a pair of gloves that reduce skin sensitivity and created the effects of arthritis in his hands. Ear plugs made him partially deaf. Dressed like this he heads off on a mission to the shops, and on to cook a meal.
With an ageing population, an increase in food prices and cuts to local council services, The Food Programme investigates what our food future might look, feel and taste like.Sheila Dillon investigates the food lives of people surviving on the basic state pension.Sheila Dillon investigates the food lives of people surviving on the basic state pension.
To fully understand the experience of living on a small income and feeling the limitations of older age, food writer Andrew Webb volunteered to spend a week living as his 80 year old self.
Kitted out in a suit that replicates some of the physical challenges of someone twice his age Andrew shopped, cooked, ate and dined for a week as a pensioner.
His right knee was stiff, he was felt unbalanced by weights placed on his ankle and his eyesight was restricted by a pair of glasses replicating a loss of vision. He was also given a pair of gloves that reduce skin sensitivity and created the effects of arthritis in his hands. Ear plugs made him partially deaf. Dressed like this he heads off on a mission to the shops, and on to cook a meal.
With an ageing population, an increase in food prices and cuts to local council services, The Food Programme investigates what our food future might look, feel and taste like.Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +00001643http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130215-1158.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q314p.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01qdr2pHorsemeat Scandal: A Food Programme SpecialSheila Dillon reports on fresh developments in the horsemeat scandal. As more tests reveal large amounts of horsemeat in beef products, Sheila investigates the supply chain.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon reports on the latest developments in the horsemeat scandal.Sheila Dillon reports on fresh developments in the horsemeat scandal. As more tests reveal large amounts of horsemeat in beef products, Sheila investigates the supply chain.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +00001677http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130211-1530.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q314y.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01qhd0rFood in the life of Sir Paul McCartneySheila Dillon with an exclusive food interview with former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. More than thirty years since becoming a vegetarian he reflects on his life through food.
He describes his early life in the terraced council house, 20 Forthlin Road, now owned by the National Trust and where the McCartney kitchen, circa 1955, has been restored. Paul McCartney recalls meals of pork chops, liver and tongue , the latter proving to be one of the biggest food challenges of his childhood.
He recounts stories on the road with The Beatles and seeing huge steaks drooping over the plate on their American tour, and then the 1960 trip to India and facing a strict vegetarian diet. Several years later, after spending time on his farm, and influenced by his wife Linda, he stopped eating meat.
So how, from a personal decision based on compassion for animals, did he decide to shift to a more political and campaigning stance on food and farming? Sheila Dillon finds out how he took a fame based on the stage, into arenas like the European Parliament and The White House.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon with an exclusive food interview with former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.Sheila Dillon with an exclusive food interview with former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. More than thirty years since becoming a vegetarian he reflects on his life through food.
He describes his early life in the terraced council house, 20 Forthlin Road, now owned by the National Trust and where the McCartney kitchen, circa 1955, has been restored. Paul McCartney recalls meals of pork chops, liver and tongue , the latter proving to be one of the biggest food challenges of his childhood.
He recounts stories on the road with The Beatles and seeing huge steaks drooping over the plate on their American tour, and then the 1960 trip to India and facing a strict vegetarian diet. Several years later, after spending time on his farm, and influenced by his wife Linda, he stopped eating meat.
So how, from a personal decision based on compassion for animals, did he decide to shift to a more political and campaigning stance on food and farming? Sheila Dillon finds out how he took a fame based on the stage, into arenas like the European Parliament and The White House.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +00001640http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130128-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3154.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01q7gvnHorsemeat and the Irish burger scandalIreland's horsemeat burger scandal makes the guarantees on traceability and product standards by some supermarkets look unreliable. The discovery may also be a wakeup call for the Food Standards Agency.
In a special edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon talks to former regulators and experts on food processing to find out how it could have happened and what kind of meat supply chain it has revealed.
The discovery comes as many people monitoring food safety have expressed concerns about cuts in budgets to the UK's food testing regime. Public analyst Duncan Campbell explains why he thinks the two scenarios are connected.
To shed light on the global trade in horse meat and protein products Sheila speaks to Latitude News journalist Jack Rodolico. He's traced the movement of race horses into the EU food supply chain.
New York Times reporter Michael Moss also explains why the UK might be following in the footsteps of a debate around cheap meat sparked off in the US by the so called "pink slime" scandal.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon investigates the horsemeat burger scandal affecting food in Ireland and UK.Ireland's horsemeat burger scandal makes the guarantees on traceability and product standards by some supermarkets look unreliable. The discovery may also be a wakeup call for the Food Standards Agency.
In a special edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon talks to former regulators and experts on food processing to find out how it could have happened and what kind of meat supply chain it has revealed.
The discovery comes as many people monitoring food safety have expressed concerns about cuts in budgets to the UK's food testing regime. Public analyst Duncan Campbell explains why he thinks the two scenarios are connected.
To shed light on the global trade in horse meat and protein products Sheila speaks to Latitude News journalist Jack Rodolico. He's traced the movement of race horses into the EU food supply chain.
New York Times reporter Michael Moss also explains why the UK might be following in the footsteps of a debate around cheap meat sparked off in the US by the so called "pink slime" scandal.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Dan Saladino.Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +00001653http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130121-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q315b.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01pz595Traffic light labelsTraffic light labelling - whether red lights will stop us eating bad foods. Sheila Dillon investigates whether this year's change in food labelling will encourage us to improve our diet.Sue Davies from Which? explains the change to food labelling. This year a consistent system will be adopted across supermarkets. The labels will show a combination of guideline daily amounts, colour coding and "high, medium or low" wording will be used to show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product.Dr Mike Rayner has worked on a system like this since the 1980s. He celebrates this as a landmark year in public health, but thinks that the traffic light system still is not perfect.And New York Times columnist Mark Bittman describes his dream food label, which would also include details about animal welfare and how processed the food was.Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon asks if warning signs on food labels can change the way we eat.Traffic light labelling - whether red lights will stop us eating bad foods. Sheila Dillon investigates whether this year's change in food labelling will encourage us to improve our diet.Sue Davies from Which? explains the change to food labelling. This year a consistent system will be adopted across supermarkets. The labels will show a combination of guideline daily amounts, colour coding and "high, medium or low" wording will be used to show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product.Dr Mike Rayner has worked on a system like this since the 1980s. He celebrates this as a landmark year in public health, but thinks that the traffic light system still is not perfect.And New York Times columnist Mark Bittman describes his dream food label, which would also include details about animal welfare and how processed the food was.Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +00001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130114-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q315v.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01pt8dlFrom Our Own Food CorrespondentSheila Dillon presents a special New Year, "From our Own Food Correspondent" with stories from China, France, Italy, Britain and the United States that reflect our changing attitudes towards the food we eat
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon presents a special New Year show, with food stories from aroiund the world.Sheila Dillon presents a special New Year, "From our Own Food Correspondent" with stories from China, France, Italy, Britain and the United States that reflect our changing attitudes towards the food we eat
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +00001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130104-1605.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q316g.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01pnlt6The cocktail, old and newDan Saladino explores the cocktail, a story which begins with 18th century Indian punch and keeps on evolving with new wave flavours being developed in the bars of New York , London, Bristol and Manchester.
After years of being out of fashion and misunderstood, the cocktail is making a comeback. Drinks that had been forgotten for decades, like the Sidecar, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan have returned as a new generation is discovering the pleasures of a cold, expertly mixed drink.
Cocktail expert Nick Strangeway explains that the renaissance is largely down to drinks "following on the coat tails" of wider changes in food in Britain. Meanwhile, television programmes like Sex in the City and Mad Men have excited the imagination of a generation less familiar with the Martini and Bloody Mary.
Joe Carlin, author of Cocktails: A Global History provides some insights into why the cocktail became so successful in 19th century America and why it still endures to this day.Dan Saladino explores the cocktail, from 18th century punch to new flavours in the USA.Dan Saladino explores the cocktail, a story which begins with 18th century Indian punch and keeps on evolving with new wave flavours being developed in the bars of New York , London, Bristol and Manchester.
After years of being out of fashion and misunderstood, the cocktail is making a comeback. Drinks that had been forgotten for decades, like the Sidecar, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan have returned as a new generation is discovering the pleasures of a cold, expertly mixed drink.
Cocktail expert Nick Strangeway explains that the renaissance is largely down to drinks "following on the coat tails" of wider changes in food in Britain. Meanwhile, television programmes like Sex in the City and Mad Men have excited the imagination of a generation less familiar with the Martini and Bloody Mary.
Joe Carlin, author of Cocktails: A Global History provides some insights into why the cocktail became so successful in 19th century America and why it still endures to this day.Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00001658http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20130102-1314.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q316r.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01ph7f0Christmas Necessary PleasuresChristmas Necessary Pleasures - Sheila Dillon hears from leading chefs and writers on their favourite Christmas foods.
Jamie Oliver, Angela Hartnett and Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood are among the top chefs who create an imaginary banquet of Christmas delicacies. Food writers Tom Jaine and Kirsten Rodgers discuss these foods, and hear about past Christmas traditions from food historian Peter Brears as he cooks up dishes in Wordsworth's Cottage in Grasmere.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon hears from leading chefs and writers on their necessary Christmas pleasures.Christmas Necessary Pleasures - Sheila Dillon hears from leading chefs and writers on their favourite Christmas foods.
Jamie Oliver, Angela Hartnett and Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood are among the top chefs who create an imaginary banquet of Christmas delicacies. Food writers Tom Jaine and Kirsten Rodgers discuss these foods, and hear about past Christmas traditions from food historian Peter Brears as he cooks up dishes in Wordsworth's Cottage in Grasmere.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00001447http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121223-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q316z.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01pf6dzCheap VegCheap veg - the surprising stories behind humble British vegetables. Sheila Dillon enlists three experts to uncover the hidden side of our veggies.
Ethno-botanist James Wong argues that rhubarb is the only uniquely British indigenous vegetable. Agricultural expert Dr Oliver Moore discovers the work that a seed bank in Ireland is doing to increase variety in our potatoes. And food writer Andrew Webb unearths new uses for onions.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon discovers surprising stories behind humble British vegetables.Cheap veg - the surprising stories behind humble British vegetables. Sheila Dillon enlists three experts to uncover the hidden side of our veggies.
Ethno-botanist James Wong argues that rhubarb is the only uniquely British indigenous vegetable. Agricultural expert Dr Oliver Moore discovers the work that a seed bank in Ireland is doing to increase variety in our potatoes. And food writer Andrew Webb unearths new uses for onions.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 16 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121217-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3175.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01p9g3y09/12/2012Sheila Dillon looks at the role food plays in different faiths and how increasingly churches, temples and mosques are being tasked with feeding people who have fallen victim to recession.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon looks at the role food plays in different faiths.Sheila Dillon looks at the role food plays in different faiths and how increasingly churches, temples and mosques are being tasked with feeding people who have fallen victim to recession.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00001654http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121210-1530.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q317j.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01p6ryzA Winning Meal - The BBC Food Awards menuA Winning Meal - the menu behind the Food and Farming Awards. Chef, Arthur Potts-Dawson tells the story behind a celebratory meal created using ingredients from UK food producers who were nominated for the BBC Food and Farming Awards.
Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Emma Weatherill.Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson tells the story behind the BBC Food and Farming Awards menu.A Winning Meal - the menu behind the Food and Farming Awards. Chef, Arthur Potts-Dawson tells the story behind a celebratory meal created using ingredients from UK food producers who were nominated for the BBC Food and Farming Awards.
Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00001620http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121203-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3184.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01p314qRethinking the hot dogOriginally the street food of German immigrants to the United States, the hot dog was the original artisan sausage in the late nineteenth century before going 'downscale' and becoming the cheap food for the masses. Now not just a watery, synthetic thing from a can, a new breed of pedigree frankfurter is on the rise. Tom Parker Bowles reports.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Tom Parker Bowles discovers the joys of the gourmet hot dog.Originally the street food of German immigrants to the United States, the hot dog was the original artisan sausage in the late nineteenth century before going 'downscale' and becoming the cheap food for the masses. Now not just a watery, synthetic thing from a can, a new breed of pedigree frankfurter is on the rise. Tom Parker Bowles reports.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +00001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121126-1410.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3191.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01nx3pc2012's Best "Big Food Ideas"Sheila Dillon meets finalists in the BBC Food & Farming Awards offering ideas for our food future, from making more local food available online to redistributing spare food.
Joining Sheila to explore these ideas are Kath Dalmeny, research director of Sustain, and Christine Tacon, former CEO of the Coop's farms.
Under discussion are Growing Communities in East London, Riverford Organics in Devon, Cornish Food Market, The Real Bread Campaign, and Fareshare.
Producer: Toby Field.Sheila Dillon meets finalists in the Food and Farming Awards offering ideas for the futureSheila Dillon meets finalists in the BBC Food & Farming Awards offering ideas for our food future, from making more local food available online to redistributing spare food.
Joining Sheila to explore these ideas are Kath Dalmeny, research director of Sustain, and Christine Tacon, former CEO of the Coop's farms.
Under discussion are Growing Communities in East London, Riverford Organics in Devon, Cornish Food Market, The Real Bread Campaign, and Fareshare.
Producer: Toby Field.Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +00001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121125-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q319f.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01p067rStreet food heroesFrom Moroccan food to traditional British puddings. Valentine Warner and Charles Campion taste their way through the BBC Food & Farming Awards "Best street food or takeaway" category.
The judges had the challenge of travelling and eating their way around the three finalists very different stories in what turned out to be something of a "food road trip" .
Charles and Valentine, find out about north African cooking cuisine with The Moroccan Soup stand team in west London, they talk authentic Indian dishes at Inder's Kitchen in Cambridge, and if it's acceptable to have strawberry jam in a Bakewell Tart at The Pudding Stop, a small team who bake desserts and then sell them from in a van parked outside a train station.
After the journey both Charles and Valentine have to decide a winner.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Valentine Warner and Charles Campion eat with the Food Award's 'Best Takeaway' finalists.From Moroccan food to traditional British puddings. Valentine Warner and Charles Campion taste their way through the BBC Food & Farming Awards "Best street food or takeaway" category.
The judges had the challenge of travelling and eating their way around the three finalists very different stories in what turned out to be something of a "food road trip" .
Charles and Valentine, find out about north African cooking cuisine with The Moroccan Soup stand team in west London, they talk authentic Indian dishes at Inder's Kitchen in Cambridge, and if it's acceptable to have strawberry jam in a Bakewell Tart at The Pudding Stop, a small team who bake desserts and then sell them from in a van parked outside a train station.
After the journey both Charles and Valentine have to decide a winner.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +00001641http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121113-1513.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q319p.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01nszt0LardLoving lard - Tim Hayward delves into the guilty pleasure of eating animal fat. Lard is so unfashionable that the word is used as an insult. But Tim goes on a mission to reclaim lard and argue that it can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.
Science journalist Gary Taubes is researching saturated animal fats and says that eating lard is healthy. Food writer Oliver Thring visits restaurant Quo Vadis where chef Jeremy Lee is a lard evangelist. And Tim hears about gourmet Italian lardo di colonnata.
Presented by Tim Hayward and produced by Emma Weatherill.Tim Hayward learns to love lard, discussing our complicated relationship with animal fat.Loving lard - Tim Hayward delves into the guilty pleasure of eating animal fat. Lard is so unfashionable that the word is used as an insult. But Tim goes on a mission to reclaim lard and argue that it can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.
Science journalist Gary Taubes is researching saturated animal fats and says that eating lard is healthy. Food writer Oliver Thring visits restaurant Quo Vadis where chef Jeremy Lee is a lard evangelist. And Tim hears about gourmet Italian lardo di colonnata.
Presented by Tim Hayward and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +00001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121105-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q319y.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01npb10Football and FoodJohn Inverdale looks at innovations in the food offerings at football grounds that aim to give fans and players alike a better eating experience than the traditional burger and pie. He visits League Champions Manchester City who are leading the way in the food revolution.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.John Inverdale on the way football is changing the relationship between food and sport.John Inverdale looks at innovations in the food offerings at football grounds that aim to give fans and players alike a better eating experience than the traditional burger and pie. He visits League Champions Manchester City who are leading the way in the food revolution.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 28 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +01001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121029-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31b7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01nk24nThe Future of the OvenTim Hayward glimpses the future of the domestic oven. After decades of remaining relatively unchanged, ovens will soon be intelligent , with probes, steam and user interfaces.
Mary Berry gives Tim some tips on how best to use your oven, and food historian Bee Wilson explains how ovens used to be so cutting edge that people were afraid of them.
Presenter: Tim Hayward. Producer: Emma Weatherill.Tim Hayward discovers the future of the domestic oven, with the help of Mary Berry.Tim Hayward glimpses the future of the domestic oven. After decades of remaining relatively unchanged, ovens will soon be intelligent , with probes, steam and user interfaces.
Mary Berry gives Tim some tips on how best to use your oven, and food historian Bee Wilson explains how ovens used to be so cutting edge that people were afraid of them.
Presenter: Tim Hayward. Producer: Emma Weatherill.Sun, 21 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +01001822http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121022-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31bm.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01ng1twHow to waste less foodTristram Stuart reports on the latest ideas to tackle our growing mountains of food waste by thinking creatively and producing good food from surplus produce
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Tristram Stuart reports on the latest ideas to tackle our growing mountains of food waste.Tristram Stuart reports on the latest ideas to tackle our growing mountains of food waste by thinking creatively and producing good food from surplus produce
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 14 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +01001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121015-1750.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31by.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01n9vhrBritish Blue CheeseBritish blue cheese is aspiring to move from niche to mass market. Blue cheese has been made on the continent since Roman times. But in the UK, blue in cheese was historically viewed as "white cheese gone wrong". Now, British blue cheese producers are trying to make creamy, sweet, salty cheeses in a European style to compete with the continental imports of Gorgonzola, Cambozola and Danish Blue.
Sheila Dillon travels to the British Cheese Award to search for the perfect blue cheese for the mass market's palate. Food historian Ivan Day explains why Stilton was the most expensive cheese in Victorian Britain. And cheese maker John Longman shows Sheila how to turn a cheese blue.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon finds out why new British blue cheeses are pushing their way into the marketBritish blue cheese is aspiring to move from niche to mass market. Blue cheese has been made on the continent since Roman times. But in the UK, blue in cheese was historically viewed as "white cheese gone wrong". Now, British blue cheese producers are trying to make creamy, sweet, salty cheeses in a European style to compete with the continental imports of Gorgonzola, Cambozola and Danish Blue.
Sheila Dillon travels to the British Cheese Award to search for the perfect blue cheese for the mass market's palate. Food historian Ivan Day explains why Stilton was the most expensive cheese in Victorian Britain. And cheese maker John Longman shows Sheila how to turn a cheese blue.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 07 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +01001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121009-1100.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31c6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01n6066Food and Farming Awards: The FinalistsCook and food writer Valentine Warner reveals this year's line up of finalists in the BBC Food & Farming Awards.
For the past four months the team of judges including chef Angela Hartnett, drinks writers Pete Brown and Victoria Moore as well as Valentine have all been sifting through nominations and selecting the potential winners of awards.
Who they've chosen and why is all in this special edition of The Food Programme, as well as information about how you can be in this year's audience for the ceremony held in November.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Food writer Valentine Warner reveals this year's line-up of best food and drinks producersCook and food writer Valentine Warner reveals this year's line up of finalists in the BBC Food & Farming Awards.
For the past four months the team of judges including chef Angela Hartnett, drinks writers Pete Brown and Victoria Moore as well as Valentine have all been sifting through nominations and selecting the potential winners of awards.
Who they've chosen and why is all in this special edition of The Food Programme, as well as information about how you can be in this year's audience for the ceremony held in November.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 30 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +01001641http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20121001-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31cj.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01n0t5qFood and the CinemaTom Parker Bowles looks at the cinema eating experience: from popcorn and nachos to three course meals, there's now every kind of food available to nibble on whilst at the movies. But is it right that we should eat in such a distracted way? Isn't it a ticket to obesity?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Tom Parker Bowles looks at the cinema eating experience.Tom Parker Bowles looks at the cinema eating experience: from popcorn and nachos to three course meals, there's now every kind of food available to nibble on whilst at the movies. But is it right that we should eat in such a distracted way? Isn't it a ticket to obesity?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +01001428http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120923-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31ct.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01mtslvSourdoughSheila Dillon finds out why sourdough bread is undergoing a major revival. It is the world's oldest leaven bread dating back to Ancient Egypt and it is now experiencing a renaissance.
Baker Dan de Gustibus explains how the bread is made from a sourdough starter, a mixture of flour and water which is left to ferment until wild yeasts and bacteria start breeding. But there are many myths around this sourdough starter - bakers compete over who can trace back the oldest lineage. Yeast technologist Dr Bill Simpson debunks these myths to explain the truth behind how sourdough works.
And food historian Erica Peters explains why she thinks the famous San Francisco sourdough isn't linked to the Californian Gold Rush, despite its claims.
Presenter by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sheila Dillon finds out why sourdough bread is undergoing a major revival.Sheila Dillon finds out why sourdough bread is undergoing a major revival. It is the world's oldest leaven bread dating back to Ancient Egypt and it is now experiencing a renaissance.
Baker Dan de Gustibus explains how the bread is made from a sourdough starter, a mixture of flour and water which is left to ferment until wild yeasts and bacteria start breeding. But there are many myths around this sourdough starter - bakers compete over who can trace back the oldest lineage. Yeast technologist Dr Bill Simpson debunks these myths to explain the truth behind how sourdough works.
And food historian Erica Peters explains why she thinks the famous San Francisco sourdough isn't linked to the Californian Gold Rush, despite its claims.
Presenter by Sheila Dillon and produced by Emma Weatherill.Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +01001687http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120916-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31d4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01mnpzvAustralia's Food RevolutionSheila Dillon finds out how Australia, a nation founded on the bulk export of cheese and meat, became one of the world's most exciting gastronomic destinations.
The food story of the early settlers is told by Michael Symons, former restaurateur, academic and author of One Continuous Picnic: A Gastronomic History of Australia. In 1788, convicts and peasants arrived to an uncultivated land and farming and food were quickly geared towards large scale agriculture and exports of meat and dairy to the British Empire.
In more recent years Australia has become a place of pioneering, experimental chefs and home to some of the world's greatest ingredients as well as the source of global food trends. Sheila tells the story of this major transition with the help of food writer Charles Campion, on tour in Sydney and Melbourne.
The story also weaves in a hunt for indigenous aboriginal foods and the account of a man whose contribution to Australian food culture was to bury 80kg of Roquefort cheese to the French national anthem. Both are fascinating episodes in a colourful and surprising food story.
Producer: Dan Saladino.How Australia, built on bulk exports of cheese and meat, became a gastronomic leader.Sheila Dillon finds out how Australia, a nation founded on the bulk export of cheese and meat, became one of the world's most exciting gastronomic destinations.
The food story of the early settlers is told by Michael Symons, former restaurateur, academic and author of One Continuous Picnic: A Gastronomic History of Australia. In 1788, convicts and peasants arrived to an uncultivated land and farming and food were quickly geared towards large scale agriculture and exports of meat and dairy to the British Empire.
In more recent years Australia has become a place of pioneering, experimental chefs and home to some of the world's greatest ingredients as well as the source of global food trends. Sheila tells the story of this major transition with the help of food writer Charles Campion, on tour in Sydney and Melbourne.
The story also weaves in a hunt for indigenous aboriginal foods and the account of a man whose contribution to Australian food culture was to bury 80kg of Roquefort cheese to the French national anthem. Both are fascinating episodes in a colourful and surprising food story.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +01001663http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120910-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31dg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01mhsdyA Guide to Spice, Part 3: MustardSheila Dillon explores a food story of decline and revival, British mustard.Sheila Dillon explores a food story of decline and revival - British mustard.Sheila Dillon explores a food story of decline and revival, British mustard.Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +01001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120907-1400.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31dx.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01m9n2zA Guide to Spice, part 2: VanillaDo you know how vanilla beans are hand pollinated? Do you know why harvested vanilla pods are wrapped in hot blankets?
Sheila Dillon reveals all as she continues her exploration of the modern spice world by looking at vanilla.
Reporter Vanessa Kimbell travels to Uganda to meet Lulu Sturdy, a British furniture designer who inherited a run down estate in Uganda, and within a decade has turned it into an influential source of quality vanilla beans. She follows this year's harvest and hears the incredible effort involved during the careful processing of the pods.
Chef Jeremy Lee and Niki Segnit, author of The Flavour Thesaurus provide a guide to flavour combinations and cooking techniques with vanilla.Sheila Dillon looks at the modern vanilla trade and meets a young British vanilla grower.Do you know how vanilla beans are hand pollinated? Do you know why harvested vanilla pods are wrapped in hot blankets?
Sheila Dillon reveals all as she continues her exploration of the modern spice world by looking at vanilla.
Reporter Vanessa Kimbell travels to Uganda to meet Lulu Sturdy, a British furniture designer who inherited a run down estate in Uganda, and within a decade has turned it into an influential source of quality vanilla beans. She follows this year's harvest and hears the incredible effort involved during the careful processing of the pods.
Chef Jeremy Lee and Niki Segnit, author of The Flavour Thesaurus provide a guide to flavour combinations and cooking techniques with vanilla.Sun, 26 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +01001648http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120829-1130.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31f7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01m4c33A Guide to Spice, part 1: ClovesSheila Dillon embarks on a journey through the world of spice, starting with the clove. She follows the story of the clove from a harvest in Africa to sauce making with chef Jeremy Lee.
A culinary prize since the 3rd century BC, cloves have been a source of conflict and competition for centuries. They're still one of the most popular spices in our kitchen cupboards.
Reporter Nick Maes travels to Zanzibar, one of the world's leading producers of cloves, to find out how the dried, unopened flower buds are grown and then processed. He hears how years of decline have been reversed and plantations extended.
Along with Jeremy Lee, Niki Segnit, author of The Flavour Thesaurus, provides a helpful guide to flavour combinations and the uses of cloves in cooking.Sheila Dillon embarks on a journey through the world of spices, starting with the clove.Sheila Dillon embarks on a journey through the world of spice, starting with the clove. She follows the story of the clove from a harvest in Africa to sauce making with chef Jeremy Lee.
A culinary prize since the 3rd century BC, cloves have been a source of conflict and competition for centuries. They're still one of the most popular spices in our kitchen cupboards.
Reporter Nick Maes travels to Zanzibar, one of the world's leading producers of cloves, to find out how the dried, unopened flower buds are grown and then processed. He hears how years of decline have been reversed and plantations extended.
Along with Jeremy Lee, Niki Segnit, author of The Flavour Thesaurus, provides a helpful guide to flavour combinations and the uses of cloves in cooking.Sun, 19 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +01001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120820-1615.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31fg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01m0f24The Science of TasteCan changing our dining utensils change the flavour of food? Simon Parkes investigates.Can changing our dining utensils change the flavour of food? Simon Parkes investigates.Can changing our dining utensils change the flavour of food? Simon Parkes investigates.Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +01001675http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120813-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31fv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01lsts3Camping FoodFor most people, the idea of camping food is not an appetising one. You'll not find food-loving Tim Hayward under canvas unless it's in the big tent of a food festival.
Tim has got wind of a man who is throwing all of his energy into changing forever how people see (and taste) camping food. Setting off on an arduous voyage to meet Josh Sutton - aka The Guyrope Gourmet - our intrepid presenter learns about tribal caches, a pioneering outdoorsman with a love of Italian cuisine, as well as a whole new way to experience 'local food'.
Tim Hayward is joined by Matthew De Abaitua, author of 'The Art of Camping'.
Producer: Rich Ward.How camping food can be much more than tinned food and bangers. Tim Hayward finds out.For most people, the idea of camping food is not an appetising one. You'll not find food-loving Tim Hayward under canvas unless it's in the big tent of a food festival.
Tim has got wind of a man who is throwing all of his energy into changing forever how people see (and taste) camping food. Setting off on an arduous voyage to meet Josh Sutton - aka The Guyrope Gourmet - our intrepid presenter learns about tribal caches, a pioneering outdoorsman with a love of Italian cuisine, as well as a whole new way to experience 'local food'.
Tim Hayward is joined by Matthew De Abaitua, author of 'The Art of Camping'.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 05 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +01001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120806-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31gb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01lh96sFavourite FoodsSimon Parkes hears from some of the listeners who've sent in their nominations for this year's Food and Farming Awards.
Their stories cover a variety of foods, places and people, from the Glasgow curry cart, to the man so obsessed with the local jam he discovered that he finds himself making jam sandwiches at 10 o' clock at night 'grinning like a five year old.'
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Simon Parkes reports on the latest stories coming in for the Food and Farming Awards.Simon Parkes hears from some of the listeners who've sent in their nominations for this year's Food and Farming Awards.
Their stories cover a variety of foods, places and people, from the Glasgow curry cart, to the man so obsessed with the local jam he discovered that he finds himself making jam sandwiches at 10 o' clock at night 'grinning like a five year old.'
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 29 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +01001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120730-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31gr.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01l5plnCan Andrew Lansley change your diet?Can Health Secretary Andrew Lansley change Britain's bad eating habits? Sheila Dillon hears how the debate is shaping up on the "responsibility deals" aimed at changing our diet.
With over 60 per cent of the British population now overweight or obese everyone agrees that change is needed in how we eat and what we eat. One part of the government's strategy involve so called responsibility deals, agreements with the food industry based around a series of pledges.
A growing number of food manufacturers and retailers have signed up, pledging to reduce calories, remove salt and harmful trans-fats from food. But will it deliver a big enough change in the nation's diet?
Sheila Dillon finds out how the Danish government has recently opted to place a tax on nutrients like saturated fat and sugar, meanwhile in New York City, mayor Michael Bloomberg has placed a ban on ingredients like trans-fats and is now placing restrictions on the size of soft drink portions.
So, to tax, ban or adopt voluntary agreements on food? Sheila hears how the three different ideas are being developed.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Can health secretary Andrew Lansley change Britain's bad eating habits?Can Health Secretary Andrew Lansley change Britain's bad eating habits? Sheila Dillon hears how the debate is shaping up on the "responsibility deals" aimed at changing our diet.
With over 60 per cent of the British population now overweight or obese everyone agrees that change is needed in how we eat and what we eat. One part of the government's strategy involve so called responsibility deals, agreements with the food industry based around a series of pledges.
A growing number of food manufacturers and retailers have signed up, pledging to reduce calories, remove salt and harmful trans-fats from food. But will it deliver a big enough change in the nation's diet?
Sheila Dillon finds out how the Danish government has recently opted to place a tax on nutrients like saturated fat and sugar, meanwhile in New York City, mayor Michael Bloomberg has placed a ban on ingredients like trans-fats and is now placing restrictions on the size of soft drink portions.
So, to tax, ban or adopt voluntary agreements on food? Sheila hears how the three different ideas are being developed.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +01001666http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120723-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31h4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01ky5gxThe Extraordinary Food Story of Martha PayneWhat began as a writing project for school has, in two short months, become an internet phenomenon that is changing the way people are looking at the food children eat.
"NeverSeconds" is the food blog of nine year old Martha Payne (AKA 'VEG'), from Lochgilpead in the West of Scotland. Inspired by a family friend who is a journalist, Martha started to photograph and rate her school dinners.
A few weeks ago her story went global when her local council banned her from taking any more of these photographs. The council backed down after a massive public outcry, but the profile of the site had by then been boosted irreversibly.
What next for Martha and her father Dave, and the rest of the Payne family? Sheila Dillon went to their thirteen acre smallholding to meet them and find out.
Sheila discovered a family very much in tune with where their food comes from, and went on a journey that took in celebrity chef and food campaigner Nick Nairn, a llama, haggis lasagne and a chance to change the Scottish food system.
Producer: Rich Ward.Nine-year-old blogger Martha Payne explains how she triggered a debate on school food.What began as a writing project for school has, in two short months, become an internet phenomenon that is changing the way people are looking at the food children eat.
"NeverSeconds" is the food blog of nine year old Martha Payne (AKA 'VEG'), from Lochgilpead in the West of Scotland. Inspired by a family friend who is a journalist, Martha started to photograph and rate her school dinners.
A few weeks ago her story went global when her local council banned her from taking any more of these photographs. The council backed down after a massive public outcry, but the profile of the site had by then been boosted irreversibly.
What next for Martha and her father Dave, and the rest of the Payne family? Sheila Dillon went to their thirteen acre smallholding to meet them and find out.
Sheila discovered a family very much in tune with where their food comes from, and went on a journey that took in celebrity chef and food campaigner Nick Nairn, a llama, haggis lasagne and a chance to change the Scottish food system.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 15 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120716-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31hg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01kr7q3Can Food Save the High Street?Sheila Dillon asks if food is the key to reviving the Britain' declining high streets. Food expert, Henrietta Green visits Croydon town centre which has just been awarded a grant by retail guru,Mary Portas to see if a radical food future is possible and asks what are the barriers to bringing quality food back to our high streets.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon and Henrietta Green ask if food is the key to reviving UK high streets.Sheila Dillon asks if food is the key to reviving the Britain' declining high streets. Food expert, Henrietta Green visits Croydon town centre which has just been awarded a grant by retail guru,Mary Portas to see if a radical food future is possible and asks what are the barriers to bringing quality food back to our high streets.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 08 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +01001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120709-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31ht.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01kjjtcThe Future of the CookbookWith digital publishing evolving at a blistering pace, Sheila Dillon investigates the future of the printed cookery book.
Andrew Webb is a food journalist whose work spans the online and printed worlds. He is the author of 'Food Britannia', which just scooped the Guild of Food Writers award for Food Book of the Year, and also edits a food website. To find out where things are moving in the world of the food book, The Food Programme sent him to meet five key players in the world of food, books and publishing.
Antony Topping is a literary agent, whose clients include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Thomasina Miers. Mary-Clare Jerram is a Publishing Director at Dorling Kindersley, looking after both digital and print editions. Ian Malone runs a company specialising in food apps for phones and tablets.
Andrew also meets Dr Peter Ross, Principal Librarian at the Guildhall Library, home to the largest collection of food books in any UK public library - and lastly, Hardeep Singh Kohli is a broadcaster, author and is passionate about food.
Sheila is joined in the studio by Neill Denny, Editor-in-Chief of the book industry magazine 'The Bookseller', Kerstin Rodgers - aka MsMarmitelover - food blogger and pop-up restaurant pioneer, and Ben Ebbrell, who cooks and presents on the Sorted food site.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon investigates the future of the printed cookery book.With digital publishing evolving at a blistering pace, Sheila Dillon investigates the future of the printed cookery book.
Andrew Webb is a food journalist whose work spans the online and printed worlds. He is the author of 'Food Britannia', which just scooped the Guild of Food Writers award for Food Book of the Year, and also edits a food website. To find out where things are moving in the world of the food book, The Food Programme sent him to meet five key players in the world of food, books and publishing.
Antony Topping is a literary agent, whose clients include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Thomasina Miers. Mary-Clare Jerram is a Publishing Director at Dorling Kindersley, looking after both digital and print editions. Ian Malone runs a company specialising in food apps for phones and tablets.
Andrew also meets Dr Peter Ross, Principal Librarian at the Guildhall Library, home to the largest collection of food books in any UK public library - and lastly, Hardeep Singh Kohli is a broadcaster, author and is passionate about food.
Sheila is joined in the studio by Neill Denny, Editor-in-Chief of the book industry magazine 'The Bookseller', Kerstin Rodgers - aka MsMarmitelover - food blogger and pop-up restaurant pioneer, and Ben Ebbrell, who cooks and presents on the Sorted food site.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +01001669http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120702-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31j0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01k9n83The Olympic MenuSheila Dillon meets Jan Matthews head of the UK's biggest catering job, organising food for the Olympics, London 2012 to ask how successful she's been with the "Olympic Food Vision" that promised to showcase the best of British food.
She also meets the Chair of London Food, Rosie Boycott to hear the latest on the city's growing initiative that aims to be part of the Olympic food legacy.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon meets Jan Matthews head of the UK's biggest catering job, London 2012.Sheila Dillon meets Jan Matthews head of the UK's biggest catering job, organising food for the Olympics, London 2012 to ask how successful she's been with the "Olympic Food Vision" that promised to showcase the best of British food.
She also meets the Chair of London Food, Rosie Boycott to hear the latest on the city's growing initiative that aims to be part of the Olympic food legacy.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 24 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +01001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120625-1533.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31j9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01k2b3jThe Best in Food and FarmingIn this special programme Sheila Dillon launches the search for this year's winners of the BBC Food & Farming Awards.
Sheila is joined by Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett to catch up with some of the recent winners and nominees. With insights from last year's winners of the Best Food Producer award - Loch Arthur Creamery - to the Best Market - Bolton - we hear why the awards make a real difference.
Valentine Warner and Pete Brown, both new to the judging team this year, give their take on the Drinks Producer and Market categories, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, also a winner in 2011, explains why these awards really do matter.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon launches the search for the winners of the 2012 BBC Food and Farming Awards.In this special programme Sheila Dillon launches the search for this year's winners of the BBC Food & Farming Awards.
Sheila is joined by Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett to catch up with some of the recent winners and nominees. With insights from last year's winners of the Best Food Producer award - Loch Arthur Creamery - to the Best Market - Bolton - we hear why the awards make a real difference.
Valentine Warner and Pete Brown, both new to the judging team this year, give their take on the Drinks Producer and Market categories, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, also a winner in 2011, explains why these awards really do matter.
Producer: Rich Ward.Mon, 18 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +01001688http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120618-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31jl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01jwfq1Tasting tomatoesSheila Dillon explores the world of the modern British tomato. Great improvements have been made in variety, flavour and quality over the last decade thanks to some technological breakthroughs including computer controlled glasshouses and use of micro-environments, green energy and smart water use.
Now many more varieties can be trialled, grown and marketed in the UK. But with the emphasis on quality and flavour rather than quantity, can they ever compete with Spanish imports?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon explores the world of the modern British tomato. Has flavour made a return?Sheila Dillon explores the world of the modern British tomato. Great improvements have been made in variety, flavour and quality over the last decade thanks to some technological breakthroughs including computer controlled glasshouses and use of micro-environments, green energy and smart water use.
Now many more varieties can be trialled, grown and marketed in the UK. But with the emphasis on quality and flavour rather than quantity, can they ever compete with Spanish imports?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 10 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +01001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120611-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31jw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01jqb8wWine TrendsSimon Parkes reports from the London International Wine fair to discover the latest trends in the wine industry.
Simon meets wine producers from emerging wine producing countries such as India and Brazil to taste the wines that could soon be hitting the supermarket shelves in the UK. He also samples wines with a lower alcohol strength to discover if it is possible to produce wines that taste good without the high levels of alcohol.
The Food Programme also reports on two smaller festivals focussing on 'natural wine': wines made with a minimum of chemical input to find out whether natural wines are now becoming more established in the UK wine market.
Presenter: Simon Parkes
Producer: Martin Poyntz-RobertsSimon Parkes reports on the latest trends in the wine industry.Simon Parkes reports from the London International Wine fair to discover the latest trends in the wine industry.
Simon meets wine producers from emerging wine producing countries such as India and Brazil to taste the wines that could soon be hitting the supermarket shelves in the UK. He also samples wines with a lower alcohol strength to discover if it is possible to produce wines that taste good without the high levels of alcohol.
The Food Programme also reports on two smaller festivals focussing on 'natural wine': wines made with a minimum of chemical input to find out whether natural wines are now becoming more established in the UK wine market.
Presenter: Simon Parkes
Producer: Martin Poyntz-RobertsSun, 03 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120604-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31k4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01jgb8wBreakfastTim Hayward offers his reflections on the past, present and future of the British breakfast. Has the first meal of the day become a problem to solve rather than a pleasure?
Joined by food writer and breakfast historian Seb Emina, Tim finds out how the great British breakfast became the envy of the world. With its origins dating back to aristocratic Edwardian country houses, the cooked breakfast spread through the chop houses of working class London and beyond.
But with the huge amount of breakfast choices now available and our increasingly busy lives, eating breakfast has become an increasingly diverse and fragmented food experience.
For some breakfast is an exercise in "grab-and-go" and indulging in more of a "desk-fast" than a meal, but there are some other interesting trends underway; sales of the big name cereal brands have been falling, porridge sales have been making something of a comeback. For an insight into this trend, Tim meets Nick Barnard of Rude Health, one of the more recent players on the breakfast scene competing for our morning appetite.
With the help of food writer Anna Berrill, Tim finds out how, for some, the traditional breakfast is becoming more of a whole social occasion. Writer and comedian Chris Neill explains his own personal problem with breakfast and we learn how the so called "third wave" coffee scene is a growing influence on our mornings.
Producer: George Casey.Tim Hayward offers reflections on the past, present and future of the British breakfast.Tim Hayward offers his reflections on the past, present and future of the British breakfast. Has the first meal of the day become a problem to solve rather than a pleasure?
Joined by food writer and breakfast historian Seb Emina, Tim finds out how the great British breakfast became the envy of the world. With its origins dating back to aristocratic Edwardian country houses, the cooked breakfast spread through the chop houses of working class London and beyond.
But with the huge amount of breakfast choices now available and our increasingly busy lives, eating breakfast has become an increasingly diverse and fragmented food experience.
For some breakfast is an exercise in "grab-and-go" and indulging in more of a "desk-fast" than a meal, but there are some other interesting trends underway; sales of the big name cereal brands have been falling, porridge sales have been making something of a comeback. For an insight into this trend, Tim meets Nick Barnard of Rude Health, one of the more recent players on the breakfast scene competing for our morning appetite.
With the help of food writer Anna Berrill, Tim finds out how, for some, the traditional breakfast is becoming more of a whole social occasion. Writer and comedian Chris Neill explains his own personal problem with breakfast and we learn how the so called "third wave" coffee scene is a growing influence on our mornings.
Producer: George Casey.Sun, 27 May 2012 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120527-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q31k9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01j2fdwThe Life of PieFor many years the symbol of stodgy service station fare, the humble pie is enjoying a renaissance as chefs and public alike discover the joys of a lovingly made pastry containing top quality ingredients.
The Food Programme meets piemakers and connoisseurs at the annual British Pie Awards and hears why top chefs and food writers are extolling the virtues of the pie
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Tim Hayward on how the public and chefs fell back in love with the humble British pie.For many years the symbol of stodgy service station fare, the humble pie is enjoying a renaissance as chefs and public alike discover the joys of a lovingly made pastry containing top quality ingredients.
The Food Programme meets piemakers and connoisseurs at the annual British Pie Awards and hears why top chefs and food writers are extolling the virtues of the pie
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 20 May 2012 01:00:00 +01001659http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120521-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q33kk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01hw635A Soya Bean Future?What's the future for one of the world's most successful and controversial crops, soya? It has become one of the main ingredients in feed for livestock, so crucial in meat production, and it's a major source of edible oil used in food processing and cooking, but have we become too dependent on the soya bean?
This year supplies of soya have tightened and the world price is approaching a record high. Because it's so widely used it has become a powerful trigger for food price inflation. For this reason, the food industry is now looking for alternative sources of protein.
The rise of the soya bean in the west has been a relatively recent development. Its history as a food crop in south east Asia goes back 5000 years as an ingredient for traditional foods like tofu, soya sauce, Tempe and soya milk. Then, in the 1930's, technology was developed in the United States that allowed the protein and oil in the soya bean to be extracted on a large scale.
From that point on it has become one of the most important and widely used ingredients in our food supply. In the last fifteen years alone, the global soya crop has doubled, most of which can be found in north America, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
If world demand increases where will these new supplies of the soya bean come from? Dan Saladino reports on the latest trends.What is the future for one of the world's most successful and controversial crops, soya?What's the future for one of the world's most successful and controversial crops, soya? It has become one of the main ingredients in feed for livestock, so crucial in meat production, and it's a major source of edible oil used in food processing and cooking, but have we become too dependent on the soya bean?
This year supplies of soya have tightened and the world price is approaching a record high. Because it's so widely used it has become a powerful trigger for food price inflation. For this reason, the food industry is now looking for alternative sources of protein.
The rise of the soya bean in the west has been a relatively recent development. Its history as a food crop in south east Asia goes back 5000 years as an ingredient for traditional foods like tofu, soya sauce, Tempe and soya milk. Then, in the 1930's, technology was developed in the United States that allowed the protein and oil in the soya bean to be extracted on a large scale.
From that point on it has become one of the most important and widely used ingredients in our food supply. In the last fifteen years alone, the global soya crop has doubled, most of which can be found in north America, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
If world demand increases where will these new supplies of the soya bean come from? Dan Saladino reports on the latest trends.Sun, 13 May 2012 01:00:00 +01001656http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120514-1800.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q349f.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01hdyptSeaweed, a Forgotten Food?Despite a long history of use in coastal areas of the British Isles, and with a well-established role in folklore and traditional medicine - seaweed is not an ingredient currently found in many British kitchen cupboards.
The raw ingredient is something of an acquired taste, and knowledge of different seaweeds and their uses is not widespread. However, as Sheila Dillon discovers in this edition of The Food Programme, things are starting to change.
In food cultures such Japan's, seaweeds have long been an important and treasured food. Through the work of people such as Prannie Rhatigan, author of Irish Seaweed Kitchen, people are starting to rediscover how to cook and utilise seaweeds and are looking again out to sea.
With a rise in scientific interest into the unique compounds within seaweeds, appreciation of its unique flavour properties, and trials of its uses as a food fortificant, Sheila asks if seaweed is a food of the future?
Producer: Rich Ward.Nutritious, tasty but overlooked, Sheila Dillon asks if seaweed is the food of the future?Despite a long history of use in coastal areas of the British Isles, and with a well-established role in folklore and traditional medicine - seaweed is not an ingredient currently found in many British kitchen cupboards.
The raw ingredient is something of an acquired taste, and knowledge of different seaweeds and their uses is not widespread. However, as Sheila Dillon discovers in this edition of The Food Programme, things are starting to change.
In food cultures such Japan's, seaweeds have long been an important and treasured food. Through the work of people such as Prannie Rhatigan, author of Irish Seaweed Kitchen, people are starting to rediscover how to cook and utilise seaweeds and are looking again out to sea.
With a rise in scientific interest into the unique compounds within seaweeds, appreciation of its unique flavour properties, and trials of its uses as a food fortificant, Sheila asks if seaweed is a food of the future?
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 06 May 2012 01:00:00 +01001680http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120508-1133.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q349s.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01h2kvgA Scramble for Eggs?Sheila Dillon looks at changes to the UK's egg supply following the EU's ban on battery cages and how the food industry is dealing with shortages and escalating prices.
Although there may still be enough eggs on the shelves of our supermarkets, the programme discovers that egg products used in some of our most popular dishes are in ever shorter supply and some may even be replaced with egg substitute produced by the dairy industry.
Three different food producers explain how the use eggs on a large scale and the impact the EU changes have made on their access to supplies of whole, liquid and frozen products.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon looks at changes to egg supplies following the EU's ban on battery cages.Sheila Dillon looks at changes to the UK's egg supply following the EU's ban on battery cages and how the food industry is dealing with shortages and escalating prices.
Although there may still be enough eggs on the shelves of our supermarkets, the programme discovers that egg products used in some of our most popular dishes are in ever shorter supply and some may even be replaced with egg substitute produced by the dairy industry.
Three different food producers explain how the use eggs on a large scale and the impact the EU changes have made on their access to supplies of whole, liquid and frozen products.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +01001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120430-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q349z.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01gnhsbThe New Beer FrontierFrom barrel ageing beer to sourcing intensely bitter hops, Dan Saladino reports on the latest trends in American brewing that are starting to influence British beer styles.
The US "craft beer" scene started to take shape 30 years ago. Prohibition in the 1920s and post-war industrialisation brought an end to one of the world's most diverse brewing cultures.
In 1979 President Jimmy Carter made home brewing legal again, and soon after, a network of adventurous brewers started to emerge. Known as craft brewers, they operate on a small scale and use traditional brewing techniques but also place great emphasis on experimentation and innovation.
American brewer and editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, Garrett Oliver puts their quest for new flavours down to the US losing its own brewing culture and so being free to explore all others. Now a young generation of brewers in the UK are looking at these new US styles and discovering techniques like barrel aging as well embarking on experiments with new, intensely flavoured, hop varieties.Dan Saladino finds out why America's brewing scene is a growing influence on British beer.From barrel ageing beer to sourcing intensely bitter hops, Dan Saladino reports on the latest trends in American brewing that are starting to influence British beer styles.
The US "craft beer" scene started to take shape 30 years ago. Prohibition in the 1920s and post-war industrialisation brought an end to one of the world's most diverse brewing cultures.
In 1979 President Jimmy Carter made home brewing legal again, and soon after, a network of adventurous brewers started to emerge. Known as craft brewers, they operate on a small scale and use traditional brewing techniques but also place great emphasis on experimentation and innovation.
American brewer and editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, Garrett Oliver puts their quest for new flavours down to the US losing its own brewing culture and so being free to explore all others. Now a young generation of brewers in the UK are looking at these new US styles and discovering techniques like barrel aging as well embarking on experiments with new, intensely flavoured, hop varieties.Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120423-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34b6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01gf4l0The Fermentation RevivalSince ancient times humans have harnessed the power of microbes to preserve food and enhance its flavours. Rich and complex food cultures have developed that use this power in a process called fermentation - making pickles, breads, wines and much, much more.
Sheila Dillon joins Sandor Katz - author and 'fermentation revivalist' - to find out more about the wonders of fermentation as well as our very relationship with these microbes.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon on an ancient, mysterious yet essential food-making process - fermentation.Since ancient times humans have harnessed the power of microbes to preserve food and enhance its flavours. Rich and complex food cultures have developed that use this power in a process called fermentation - making pickles, breads, wines and much, much more.
Sheila Dillon joins Sandor Katz - author and 'fermentation revivalist' - to find out more about the wonders of fermentation as well as our very relationship with these microbes.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +01001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120416-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34bk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01g4ks7The Therapy of FoodSheila Dillon looks at the spiritual and therapeutic value many place on breadmaking. She meets a group of refugees who've experienced torture, all using baking in their recovery.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon looks at the spiritual and therapeutic value many place on bread making.Sheila Dillon looks at the spiritual and therapeutic value many place on breadmaking. She meets a group of refugees who've experienced torture, all using baking in their recovery.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +01001662http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120409-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34c6.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01fhnt6Biscuits: A Serious BusinessSimon Parkes takes a look behind the scenes of Britain's favourite snack, the biscuit and as he discovers major change is underway to some of our most famous food brands.
Our most popular biscuits, including the digestive and the Bourbon became firm fixtures of British life in the 19th century. The snacks were produced in their millions in places like Reading and York and exported all over the world. Today, we spend more than 2.5 billion pounds eating our way through an ever increasing range of biscuits.
It's a world that's now having to adapt to a number of powerful trends. Firstly, as we're being encouraged to eat more healthy foods, millions of pounds are being invested by manufacturers with the aim of "reformulating" some of the most valuable recipes in the food industry. Secondly, with the rise of global food brands, more and more of these iconic snacks are being bought up by a small number of companies.
What does all this mean for a British food institution? Simon Parkes takes a close look at the pleasures and the profits behind the biscuit.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Simon Parkes delves into the fast-changing world of a British favourite, the biscuit.Simon Parkes takes a look behind the scenes of Britain's favourite snack, the biscuit and as he discovers major change is underway to some of our most famous food brands.
Our most popular biscuits, including the digestive and the Bourbon became firm fixtures of British life in the 19th century. The snacks were produced in their millions in places like Reading and York and exported all over the world. Today, we spend more than 2.5 billion pounds eating our way through an ever increasing range of biscuits.
It's a world that's now having to adapt to a number of powerful trends. Firstly, as we're being encouraged to eat more healthy foods, millions of pounds are being invested by manufacturers with the aim of "reformulating" some of the most valuable recipes in the food industry. Secondly, with the rise of global food brands, more and more of these iconic snacks are being bought up by a small number of companies.
What does all this mean for a British food institution? Simon Parkes takes a close look at the pleasures and the profits behind the biscuit.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +01001662http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120402-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34cg.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01f597wIn Praise of StockTim Hayward is not alone in his passion for stock, but there must be few culinary adventurers who take things to the level of his highly developed home routine.
Glasses still steamy from several simmering stockpots, Tim sets off on a journey into the world of stock. On his travels he'll share precious stock secrets, learn from the masters, tell tales of nineteenth-century Uruguay and peek behind the doors of stock-cube heaven.
Producer: Rich Ward.Tim Hayward explores one of the most humble and complex of kitchen staples, stock.Tim Hayward is not alone in his passion for stock, but there must be few culinary adventurers who take things to the level of his highly developed home routine.
Glasses still steamy from several simmering stockpots, Tim sets off on a journey into the world of stock. On his travels he'll share precious stock secrets, learn from the masters, tell tales of nineteenth-century Uruguay and peek behind the doors of stock-cube heaven.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +00001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120326-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34cn.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01dtgbjFree From FoodsThere's been a huge growth in the range of 'free from' foods over the last decade. Sheila Dillon asks whether this is due to more people being diagnosed with food allergies, or whether retailers and manufacturers are finding their own ways to grow consumer interest in dairy and gluten free foods.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon investigates the rise in demand for 'free from' foods.There's been a huge growth in the range of 'free from' foods over the last decade. Sheila Dillon asks whether this is due to more people being diagnosed with food allergies, or whether retailers and manufacturers are finding their own ways to grow consumer interest in dairy and gluten free foods.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +00001684http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120319-1559.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34cv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01dhcg2Japan, Fukushima and foodRichard Johnson reports from Japan on the impact of the Fukushima disaster on food. How has the threat of contamination changed attitudes to the nation's prized food culture?
A year ago, Japan was hit by the catastrophic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In the days that followed, reactors 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima nuclear power station experienced full meltdown. The fears of catastrophic radioactivite contamination led to a 20 km-radius evacuation around the plant, while engineers risked their lives to stabilise the reactors.
It was the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, but that wasn't the end of the story. A longer-term food story started to emerge.
A testing regime was introduced to monitor radiation levels in the food supply chain. The World Health Organisation is also carrying out its own tests to ensure that absorption of caesium through food, over decades to come, doesn't become a major threat to public health.
But as Richard Johnson discovers, confusion and lack of information in the early weeks of the crisis has led to suspicion and mistrust among large sections of the Japanese population. For this reason, the disaster is likely to not just change Japan's relationship with its politicians, but also its food culture.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Richard Johnson reports from Japan on the impact of the Fukushima disaster on food.Richard Johnson reports from Japan on the impact of the Fukushima disaster on food. How has the threat of contamination changed attitudes to the nation's prized food culture?
A year ago, Japan was hit by the catastrophic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In the days that followed, reactors 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima nuclear power station experienced full meltdown. The fears of catastrophic radioactivite contamination led to a 20 km-radius evacuation around the plant, while engineers risked their lives to stabilise the reactors.
It was the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, but that wasn't the end of the story. A longer-term food story started to emerge.
A testing regime was introduced to monitor radiation levels in the food supply chain. The World Health Organisation is also carrying out its own tests to ensure that absorption of caesium through food, over decades to come, doesn't become a major threat to public health.
But as Richard Johnson discovers, confusion and lack of information in the early weeks of the crisis has led to suspicion and mistrust among large sections of the Japanese population. For this reason, the disaster is likely to not just change Japan's relationship with its politicians, but also its food culture.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +00001673http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120312-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34d2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01d0rcvThe Food We EatWe are going through an unprecedented change in how we eat. Developing countries are moving away from traditional diets, and all over the world new types of foodstuffs are edging out foods that have been consumed for centuries. Is this a change for the better, what is driving this change, and how well do we understand what the implications are?
Two influential thinkers - Michael Pollan in the USA and Joanna Blythman in Britain - have written books that, at a time when food choices and dietary advice seem ever more complicated, offer a cry for simplicity.
The most populous nation on the planet - China - is undergoing its own rapid transition. Could the glamour of the western diet really threaten such an ancient and unique food culture?
Sheila talks to Michael, Joanna and the food writer and expert on Chinese food, Fuchsia Dunlop, about the food that we eat.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon and author Michael Pollan on the shifting sands of our global diet.We are going through an unprecedented change in how we eat. Developing countries are moving away from traditional diets, and all over the world new types of foodstuffs are edging out foods that have been consumed for centuries. Is this a change for the better, what is driving this change, and how well do we understand what the implications are?
Two influential thinkers - Michael Pollan in the USA and Joanna Blythman in Britain - have written books that, at a time when food choices and dietary advice seem ever more complicated, offer a cry for simplicity.
The most populous nation on the planet - China - is undergoing its own rapid transition. Could the glamour of the western diet really threaten such an ancient and unique food culture?
Sheila talks to Michael, Joanna and the food writer and expert on Chinese food, Fuchsia Dunlop, about the food that we eat.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +00001687http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120305-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34d5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01cvg4hBritain's Food Safety NetWho makes sure our food is safe and how? A report on Britain's food safety net.
The Food Standards Agency is reviewing who makes sure our food is safe and how that work is carried out.
Currently the UK's 434 local authorities employ 2800 people to police our food. With with austerity measures underway there's now less money to spend on those services and budgets for Environmental Health, Trading Standards and public analysis are coming under pressure.
It's resulted in food sampling rates and the number of inspections on businesses coming down. Professor Erik Millstone, an expert on the UK's food safety system, believes this could result in an increase in risk from food borne illness.
Already rates of Campylobacter, a bacterial form of food poisoning, are on the rise and so any future safety regime will have that as one of its main priorities.
Sheila Dillon interviews Tim Smith, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency, about the cuts, the FSA's review and if economic pressures could lead to an increase in risk to our health.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Who makes sure our food is safe and how? A report on Britain's food safety net.Who makes sure our food is safe and how? A report on Britain's food safety net.
The Food Standards Agency is reviewing who makes sure our food is safe and how that work is carried out.
Currently the UK's 434 local authorities employ 2800 people to police our food. With with austerity measures underway there's now less money to spend on those services and budgets for Environmental Health, Trading Standards and public analysis are coming under pressure.
It's resulted in food sampling rates and the number of inspections on businesses coming down. Professor Erik Millstone, an expert on the UK's food safety system, believes this could result in an increase in risk from food borne illness.
Already rates of Campylobacter, a bacterial form of food poisoning, are on the rise and so any future safety regime will have that as one of its main priorities.
Sheila Dillon interviews Tim Smith, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency, about the cuts, the FSA's review and if economic pressures could lead to an increase in risk to our health.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +00001690http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120227-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34db.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01cj83hFood ClubsSheila Dillon looks at how people are clubbing together to buy budget and luxury food.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon looks at how people are clubbing together to buy budget and luxury food.Sheila Dillon looks at how people are clubbing together to buy budget and luxury food.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +00001653http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120220-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34ds.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01c6trpComfort FoodIn these uncomfortable times, Sheila Dillon asks what role does food play in giving comfort?
Producer: Sara Parker.In these uncomfortable times, Sheila Dillon asks what role food plays in giving comfort.In these uncomfortable times, Sheila Dillon asks what role does food play in giving comfort?
Producer: Sara Parker.Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +00001687http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120213-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34f3.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01bwd3wAdventures in Vegetarian CuisineMeat-free cooking is in the spotlight. High-profile food writers are devoting books to delicious meatless food, and there are established restaurants, street-food vendors and new eateries offering vegetarian and vegan fare to diners of all stripes. Is it time for all restaurants and cafes to offer fantastic vegetarian food that doesn't feel like an 'add-on' to the menu?
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon asks if the British public are increasingly opening their minds to the possibilities of a complete plate of food with no meat?
The Food Programme's Carnivore-in-Chief Tim Hayward embarks on a mission to experience what vegetable, pulse and grain can offer.
Along the way meet Yotam Ottolenghi, Denis Cotter and encounter a flower-strewn van, some perplexed football fans and 'pasta' made from radishes.
Producer: Rich Ward.Can a new wave of vegetarian chefs and food writers change mainstream cuisine?Meat-free cooking is in the spotlight. High-profile food writers are devoting books to delicious meatless food, and there are established restaurants, street-food vendors and new eateries offering vegetarian and vegan fare to diners of all stripes. Is it time for all restaurants and cafes to offer fantastic vegetarian food that doesn't feel like an 'add-on' to the menu?
In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon asks if the British public are increasingly opening their minds to the possibilities of a complete plate of food with no meat?
The Food Programme's Carnivore-in-Chief Tim Hayward embarks on a mission to experience what vegetable, pulse and grain can offer.
Along the way meet Yotam Ottolenghi, Denis Cotter and encounter a flower-strewn van, some perplexed football fans and 'pasta' made from radishes.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +00001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120206-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34fh.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01bkylpThe Trouble with ChocolateThe trouble with chocolate. Sheila Dillon explains why supplies of cocoa around the world are facing a challenging future.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sheila Dillon explains why supplies of cocoa around the world are facing a tricky future.The trouble with chocolate. Sheila Dillon explains why supplies of cocoa around the world are facing a challenging future.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00001634http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120130-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34g0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01b8yy2Generation FoodGeneration Food. The Food Programme hears from the people coming up with new ideas and fresh thinking about how and where we produce food for the UK's future.
From computer programmers creating networks for people trading food locally through to community supported market gardens, Sheila Dillon finds out how a new generation is coming up with radical models for growing, buying and selling food.
Producer: Dan Saladino.A profile of the people coming up with radical ideas for food in the UK.Generation Food. The Food Programme hears from the people coming up with new ideas and fresh thinking about how and where we produce food for the UK's future.
From computer programmers creating networks for people trading food locally through to community supported market gardens, Sheila Dillon finds out how a new generation is coming up with radical models for growing, buying and selling food.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120123-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34gd.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b019rd9cLondon 2012, Coke and McDonaldsFood and the Olympics. Guest presenter John Inverdale looks ahead to London 2012 and explores the history of food and athletics from the first London Games of 1948.
Presenter: John Inverdale
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Food and the Olympics. Guest presenter John Inverdale looks ahead to London 2012.Food and the Olympics. Guest presenter John Inverdale looks ahead to London 2012 and explores the history of food and athletics from the first London Games of 1948.
Presenter: John Inverdale
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120116-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34gt.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b019f6jwFood Stories: What Happened Next?Sheila Dillon reports on the major developments in the big food stories of 2011.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon reports on the major developments in the big food stories of 2011.Sheila Dillon reports on the major developments in the big food stories of 2011.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00001673http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120109-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34hf.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01946pmNew Year's Food QuizTim Hayward and The Food Quiz team juggle more food history, trivia and recipe knowledge in pursuit of fun and gastronomic curiosity.
Recorded in front of a live audience at The Abergavenny Food Festival this special edition of the Radio 4 Food Quiz features panellists comedian Chris Neill, food writer Richard Johnson, television presenter Gizzi Erskine and restaurant insider Thomas Blythe.
This week's quiz categories include, "beer or racehorse" and "what's cookin'" as well as more from inside "the museum of brands".
Producer: Dan Saladino.Tim Hayward and the Food Quiz team juggle more food history, trivia and recipe knowledge.Tim Hayward and The Food Quiz team juggle more food history, trivia and recipe knowledge in pursuit of fun and gastronomic curiosity.
Recorded in front of a live audience at The Abergavenny Food Festival this special edition of the Radio 4 Food Quiz features panellists comedian Chris Neill, food writer Richard Johnson, television presenter Gizzi Erskine and restaurant insider Thomas Blythe.
This week's quiz categories include, "beer or racehorse" and "what's cookin'" as well as more from inside "the museum of brands".
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20120101-1300.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34hv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b018w7rlThe Food QuizNowhere else will you find a programme that juggles Elvis Presley's culinary history, questions over the origins of a 1970's crisp brand, references to Elizabeth David and some of the world's most unusual food sounds.
Food writer Tim Hayward performs this feat in a special Christmas Day edition of The Food Quiz. Panellists Allegra McEvady, Richard Johnson and Chris Neill pit their gastronomic knowledge, grasp of food trivia and culinary history against each other.
Categories include the devious "Into the Museum of Brands", a cult cookbook round as well as "What's Cookin'?" in which the teams have to identify a classic dish from the archives.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Tim Hayward presents a special food quiz edition recorded at the Abergavenny Food FestivalNowhere else will you find a programme that juggles Elvis Presley's culinary history, questions over the origins of a 1970's crisp brand, references to Elizabeth David and some of the world's most unusual food sounds.
Food writer Tim Hayward performs this feat in a special Christmas Day edition of The Food Quiz. Panellists Allegra McEvady, Richard Johnson and Chris Neill pit their gastronomic knowledge, grasp of food trivia and culinary history against each other.
Categories include the devious "Into the Museum of Brands", a cult cookbook round as well as "What's Cookin'?" in which the teams have to identify a classic dish from the archives.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +00001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111225-1400.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34jk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b018g262Gin and BotanicalsDan Saladino explores the past, present and future of the most British of drinks, gin. And hears how a new generation of distillers is testing the boundaries of an old and familiar flavour.
For decades vodka was the spirit of choice, not just for James Bond, but also for bartenders and mixologists (a recent term for the people who develop new drink recipes and cocktails). But more recently people have been reaching out for more interesting and complex flavours to replace the neutral taste of vodka. Gin was perfect.
From as far back as the 12th century apothecaries had used juniper and its coniferous flavours in spirits to heal and revive. By the 17th century the Dutch had given us Geneva or Holland Gin, a rough, whisky like spirit with juniper at its base. As distilling techniques developed in the 19th century it became the refined gin we know today with juniper flavours being delicately mixed with botanicals like coriander, cinnamon, ginger and Orris.
It's the challenge of blending and experimenting with these flavours that has attracted a new generation of gin distillers. Dan Saladino explains the history that has made this 21st century gin craze possible and finds out what is now drawing people to what was once Britain's most notorious drink.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Dan Saladino explores the past, present and future of the most British of drinks, gin.Dan Saladino explores the past, present and future of the most British of drinks, gin. And hears how a new generation of distillers is testing the boundaries of an old and familiar flavour.
For decades vodka was the spirit of choice, not just for James Bond, but also for bartenders and mixologists (a recent term for the people who develop new drink recipes and cocktails). But more recently people have been reaching out for more interesting and complex flavours to replace the neutral taste of vodka. Gin was perfect.
From as far back as the 12th century apothecaries had used juniper and its coniferous flavours in spirits to heal and revive. By the 17th century the Dutch had given us Geneva or Holland Gin, a rough, whisky like spirit with juniper at its base. As distilling techniques developed in the 19th century it became the refined gin we know today with juniper flavours being delicately mixed with botanicals like coriander, cinnamon, ginger and Orris.
It's the challenge of blending and experimenting with these flavours that has attracted a new generation of gin distillers. Dan Saladino explains the history that has made this 21st century gin craze possible and finds out what is now drawing people to what was once Britain's most notorious drink.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +00001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111219-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34k1.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b018888dThe Price of FoodDan Saladino exlores how higher food prices are changing what we buy and how we eat. From increases in food related crime to shortages of ingredients, what else is in store?Dan Saladino exlores how higher food prices are changing what we buy and how we eat.Dan Saladino exlores how higher food prices are changing what we buy and how we eat. From increases in food related crime to shortages of ingredients, what else is in store?Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +00001689http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111212-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34kj.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0183p6cBritain's best food marketsSheila Dillon talks to Food Award judges Jeremy Lee and Kath Dalmeny about some of the exciting grassroots developments in local markets around the country, focusing on the three outstanding examples of community food retailing which are transforming their communities in different and imaginative ways.Sheila Dillon discusses this year's winners in the Best Market category of the Food AwardsSheila Dillon talks to Food Award judges Jeremy Lee and Kath Dalmeny about some of the exciting grassroots developments in local markets around the country, focusing on the three outstanding examples of community food retailing which are transforming their communities in different and imaginative ways.Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +00001676http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111205-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34kx.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b017vjlyBritain's best food producersSheila Dillon reports on the winners and finalists of The BBC Food & Farming Awards 2011.Sheila Dillon reports on the winners and finalists of the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2011Sheila Dillon reports on the winners and finalists of The BBC Food & Farming Awards 2011.Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +00001671http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111128-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34lb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b017lbdfA Special (Food) RelationshipMark Bittman is a high-profile figure in the United States. He's the chief food writer for the New York Times, a broadcaster, and a bestselling author.
Keen to understand the differences between the British and American food systems, one day he made a call out of the blue to Sheila Dillon. Once in London, he fixed up meetings with Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Arthur Potts Dawson.
The Food Programme joins Mark on his personal journey into the world of the campaigning chef.
Produced by Rich Ward.Mark Bittman, chief food writer at the New York Times, meets three campaigning UK chefs.Mark Bittman is a high-profile figure in the United States. He's the chief food writer for the New York Times, a broadcaster, and a bestselling author.
Keen to understand the differences between the British and American food systems, one day he made a call out of the blue to Sheila Dillon. Once in London, he fixed up meetings with Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Arthur Potts Dawson.
The Food Programme joins Mark on his personal journey into the world of the campaigning chef.
Produced by Rich Ward.Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +00001649http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111121-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34m5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b017c8grFuture FoodSimon Parkes meets the people trying to come up with food ideas for the future. Will techniques used by experimental chefs become mainstream in the 21st century?
Producer: Dan Saladino.Simon Parkes meets the people trying to come up with food ideas for the future.Simon Parkes meets the people trying to come up with food ideas for the future. Will techniques used by experimental chefs become mainstream in the 21st century?
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +00001649http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111114-1600.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34ml.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b01724m9Into the WildSheila Dillon looks at the world of the commercial forager. As chefs become increasingly interested in sourcing wild ingredients, who are the people turning it into a profession?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Feeding a restaurant trend, Sheila Dillon investigates the world of commercial foragers.Sheila Dillon looks at the world of the commercial forager. As chefs become increasingly interested in sourcing wild ingredients, who are the people turning it into a profession?
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +00001642http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111107-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34nb.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b016w0n3Palm OilUsed increasingly by the food industry in a wide array of products from chocolate, crisps, ready meals to sweets, palm oil is both a controversial ingredient and, for many, an unknown one.
Used for centuries as a cooking oil in West Africa, palm oil has properties that make it a highly desirable and affordable component in food production. It is also used widely in animal feed, and in ever-larger quantities in South-East Asia as a cooking oil.
The target of several high-profile campaigns highlighting environmental damage caused by the rapid unchecked spread of palm plantations, it currently does not have to be labelled as palm oil, only 'vegetable fat' or 'vegetable oil'.
Dan Saladino goes on a journey to find out why the global use of this oil is growing so fast, and speaks to some of the key players in the palm oil world.
Tim Hayward meets Lloyd Mensah from Ghanaian street-food caterers Jollof Pot to discover palm oil's use in traditional West-Africa cuisine.
Dan follows the trail of this infamous and ubiquitous substance, ending at the Liverpool refinery of New Britain Palm Oil. Despite all the difficulties that the industry faces he asks if palm oil - actually an incredibly efficient, high-yielding crop - is the future for food?
Produced by Dan Saladino and Rich Ward.A traditional cooking oil and a controversial food ingredient. What's up with palm oil?Used increasingly by the food industry in a wide array of products from chocolate, crisps, ready meals to sweets, palm oil is both a controversial ingredient and, for many, an unknown one.
Used for centuries as a cooking oil in West Africa, palm oil has properties that make it a highly desirable and affordable component in food production. It is also used widely in animal feed, and in ever-larger quantities in South-East Asia as a cooking oil.
The target of several high-profile campaigns highlighting environmental damage caused by the rapid unchecked spread of palm plantations, it currently does not have to be labelled as palm oil, only 'vegetable fat' or 'vegetable oil'.
Dan Saladino goes on a journey to find out why the global use of this oil is growing so fast, and speaks to some of the key players in the palm oil world.
Tim Hayward meets Lloyd Mensah from Ghanaian street-food caterers Jollof Pot to discover palm oil's use in traditional West-Africa cuisine.
Dan follows the trail of this infamous and ubiquitous substance, ending at the Liverpool refinery of New Britain Palm Oil. Despite all the difficulties that the industry faces he asks if palm oil - actually an incredibly efficient, high-yielding crop - is the future for food?
Produced by Dan Saladino and Rich Ward.Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111031-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34nt.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b016kgv1The CalorieSheila Dillon asks if the calorie is an outdated way of controlling diet and reducing obesity.Sheila Dillon asks if the calorie is an outdated way of controlling diet.Sheila Dillon asks if the calorie is an outdated way of controlling diet and reducing obesity.Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +01001661http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111024-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34p5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0167vjtPickling and PreservingSheila Dillon looks at some of the ingenious ways we have developed of preserving food through the ages, and enjoys some autumn foraging for fruits and berries with Jill Mason of the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire.
Elderberry and Apple Chutney
Ingredients:
425g Elderberries
425g Bramley Apples (peeled and cored)
1 Large onion (chopped)
50g sultanas
150g soft light brown sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon mixed spice
Method
In a large pan place the elderberries, apples, onion, sultanas, spices and half the vinegar and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit is soft
Add the remaing vinegar and sugar whilst still simmering and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Continue to simmer until the chutney has thickened.
Ladle the chutney into sterilised jars and seal.
Store for three months before eating.Sheila Dillon looks at some of the ingenious ways we have developed of preserving food.Sheila Dillon looks at some of the ingenious ways we have developed of preserving food through the ages, and enjoys some autumn foraging for fruits and berries with Jill Mason of the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire.
Elderberry and Apple Chutney
Ingredients:
425g Elderberries
425g Bramley Apples (peeled and cored)
1 Large onion (chopped)
50g sultanas
150g soft light brown sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon mixed spice
Method
In a large pan place the elderberries, apples, onion, sultanas, spices and half the vinegar and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit is soft
Add the remaing vinegar and sugar whilst still simmering and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Continue to simmer until the chutney has thickened.
Ladle the chutney into sterilised jars and seal.
Store for three months before eating.Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +01001653http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111017-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34py.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b015ykwgLos Angeles Street FoodRichard Johnson travels to Los Angeles, a city where many of the world's food trends begin.
With the US economy in crisis LA's "food truck" scene is growing. People who have lost jobs are finding new careers by serving street food from trucks with relatively small start up costs.
These new businesses work well in LA because generations of immigration have created a diverse food culture and it's so close to one of the biggest farming regions in the United States.
Richard Johnson meets these street food pioneers, tastes a "cheese trilogy" and asks the city's most famous chefs and food writers what else the food future might hold.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Richard Johnson travels to Los Angeles, a city where many of the world's food trends beginRichard Johnson travels to Los Angeles, a city where many of the world's food trends begin.
With the US economy in crisis LA's "food truck" scene is growing. People who have lost jobs are finding new careers by serving street food from trucks with relatively small start up costs.
These new businesses work well in LA because generations of immigration have created a diverse food culture and it's so close to one of the biggest farming regions in the United States.
Richard Johnson meets these street food pioneers, tastes a "cheese trilogy" and asks the city's most famous chefs and food writers what else the food future might hold.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +01001670http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111010-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34q8.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b015mspcBeer - Trouble Brewing?Britain is a brewing nation, with a long tradition of creating incredible beers to be enjoyed in any number of taverns, inns and pubs.
Pete Brown - beer blogger and author - believes that Britain should be truly proud of its remarkable brewing heritage and charts the ups and downs of beer in the UK from Burton-on-Trent's special water via Lloyd George's unsuccessful attempt at Prohibition through to the importance of the glass that we sip our beer from.
On October the 1st new taxes came into effect that lower the tax on beer with less than 2.8% alcohol by volume (abv), and raise it on brews with more than 7.5% abv.
With concerns across the UK about problem drinking, and debates about minimum unit pricing and glass sizes, Sheila Dillon asks if it is time to re-evaluate our relationship with beer, or can it be part of the solution?
Dan Saladino visits the second largest brewing company in the world - SABMiller - at their new research laboratory in Nottingham to see how their research into a new generation of low-alcohol beers is going.
The programme also features Mark Hunter, CEO of Molson Coors UK and Ireland (Britain's biggest brewer), Dr Vivienne Nathanson of the British Medical Association, Dr John Holmes of the University of Sheffield, and the BBC's Scotland Correspondent Colin Blane.
Producer: Rich Ward.As tax on low-alcohol beer is cut, Sheila Dillon asks how problem drinking can be tackled.Britain is a brewing nation, with a long tradition of creating incredible beers to be enjoyed in any number of taverns, inns and pubs.
Pete Brown - beer blogger and author - believes that Britain should be truly proud of its remarkable brewing heritage and charts the ups and downs of beer in the UK from Burton-on-Trent's special water via Lloyd George's unsuccessful attempt at Prohibition through to the importance of the glass that we sip our beer from.
On October the 1st new taxes came into effect that lower the tax on beer with less than 2.8% alcohol by volume (abv), and raise it on brews with more than 7.5% abv.
With concerns across the UK about problem drinking, and debates about minimum unit pricing and glass sizes, Sheila Dillon asks if it is time to re-evaluate our relationship with beer, or can it be part of the solution?
Dan Saladino visits the second largest brewing company in the world - SABMiller - at their new research laboratory in Nottingham to see how their research into a new generation of low-alcohol beers is going.
The programme also features Mark Hunter, CEO of Molson Coors UK and Ireland (Britain's biggest brewer), Dr Vivienne Nathanson of the British Medical Association, Dr John Holmes of the University of Sheffield, and the BBC's Scotland Correspondent Colin Blane.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +01001680http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20111003-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34qk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b015bqbpFood ads and childrenSheila Dillon explores the issue of advertising junk food to children, and how companies have changed their marketing since the banning of the showing of food advertisements during children's television programmes four years ago.Sheila Dillon explores the issue of advertising junk food to children.Sheila Dillon explores the issue of advertising junk food to children, and how companies have changed their marketing since the banning of the showing of food advertisements during children's television programmes four years ago.Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +01001639http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110926-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34qy.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0150dt3The Honey BusinessHoney, prized since ancient times, is today shipped all over the planet. It is used as a pure foodstuff, a sweetening agent, in food manufacturing as well as in pharmaceuticals and more.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon looks at the business of honey.
The story starts in rural Oxfordshire, where Rich Ward goes on a production site tour with Patrick Robinson - factory manager at Rowse, the biggest honey packer in the UK. The company brings honey in from all over the world for use in its own-label honeys and in honeys that it packs for its many customers. Rowse also blends honeys - matching the exact specifications of customers, including most of the major supermarkets.
Sheila meets Thomas Heck, a honey trader based in the City of London. His company procures large quantities of honeys from many countries that are shipped in large metal drums.
Hattie Ellis, author of 'Sweetness & Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee' joins Sheila to talk honey history and adulteration.
Journalist Andrew Schneider discusses his recent article about 'honey laundering' that sent shockwaves around
the USA, portraying a situation in which mislabelled honey and fake honeys are finding their way on to the shelves.
Tony Spacey, the founder of Littleover Apiaries in Derbyshire, explains why his company has the need for an on-site laboratory.
The highest court in the EU has just issued a ruling concerning GM pollen and honey, which will have far-reaching implications both for the honey trade and beyond. As global demand grows year on year, could the EU be facing a honey shortage?
Produced by Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon takes a look behind the scenes of the honey industry.Honey, prized since ancient times, is today shipped all over the planet. It is used as a pure foodstuff, a sweetening agent, in food manufacturing as well as in pharmaceuticals and more.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon looks at the business of honey.
The story starts in rural Oxfordshire, where Rich Ward goes on a production site tour with Patrick Robinson - factory manager at Rowse, the biggest honey packer in the UK. The company brings honey in from all over the world for use in its own-label honeys and in honeys that it packs for its many customers. Rowse also blends honeys - matching the exact specifications of customers, including most of the major supermarkets.
Sheila meets Thomas Heck, a honey trader based in the City of London. His company procures large quantities of honeys from many countries that are shipped in large metal drums.
Hattie Ellis, author of 'Sweetness & Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee' joins Sheila to talk honey history and adulteration.
Journalist Andrew Schneider discusses his recent article about 'honey laundering' that sent shockwaves around
the USA, portraying a situation in which mislabelled honey and fake honeys are finding their way on to the shelves.
Tony Spacey, the founder of Littleover Apiaries in Derbyshire, explains why his company has the need for an on-site laboratory.
The highest court in the EU has just issued a ruling concerning GM pollen and honey, which will have far-reaching implications both for the honey trade and beyond. As global demand grows year on year, could the EU be facing a honey shortage?
Produced by Rich Ward.Sun, 18 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +01001446http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110919-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34rl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b014m76wFood PovertyAcross the UK, people are going hungry and not getting enough of the foods that they need. Every week, new food banks - where food is given out for free to those in need - are opening their doors, and established food banks are reporting a sharp rise in demand.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Simon Parkes looks at food banks and asks if this is the only way.
The Trussell Trust is a charity that oversees a nationwide network of food banks in the UK. Simon journeys to Salisbury to the Trust's headquarters where he sees how food boxes are packed, meets those who use the food bank and volunteer there- and talks to Executive Chairman of the Trust Chris Mould about the organisation and its relationship with Government.
In New York City, Rich Ward visits the Union Square Greenmarket and talks to Jan Poppendieck, author of the groundbreaking book Sweet Charity which asked difficult questions about the role of the charitable sector in US domestic food aid in the nineties.
Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at London's City University, discusses what the UK can learn from North America, what the role of the State is, and shares his thoughts on why in a country in which there is enough food to feed everybody, there is this rise in demand for charitable food aid?
Produced by Rich Ward.Simon Parkes reveals a Britain in which hunger and hard food choices are all too real.Across the UK, people are going hungry and not getting enough of the foods that they need. Every week, new food banks - where food is given out for free to those in need - are opening their doors, and established food banks are reporting a sharp rise in demand.
In this edition of The Food Programme, Simon Parkes looks at food banks and asks if this is the only way.
The Trussell Trust is a charity that oversees a nationwide network of food banks in the UK. Simon journeys to Salisbury to the Trust's headquarters where he sees how food boxes are packed, meets those who use the food bank and volunteer there- and talks to Executive Chairman of the Trust Chris Mould about the organisation and its relationship with Government.
In New York City, Rich Ward visits the Union Square Greenmarket and talks to Jan Poppendieck, author of the groundbreaking book Sweet Charity which asked difficult questions about the role of the charitable sector in US domestic food aid in the nineties.
Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at London's City University, discusses what the UK can learn from North America, what the role of the State is, and shares his thoughts on why in a country in which there is enough food to feed everybody, there is this rise in demand for charitable food aid?
Produced by Rich Ward.Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +01001443http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110912-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34sf.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b014f4w1Food Icons: George Perry-SmithSimon Parkes tells the story and legacy of the legendary and maverick chef George Perry-Smith.
In 1952 he opened The Hole in the Wall restaurant in Bath. He had no formal training, took inspiration from domestic cook books and changed the British restaurant scene forever.
Producer: Dan Saladino.The story and legacy of the maverick, self taught, legendary chef George Perry-Smith.Simon Parkes tells the story and legacy of the legendary and maverick chef George Perry-Smith.
In 1952 he opened The Hole in the Wall restaurant in Bath. He had no formal training, took inspiration from domestic cook books and changed the British restaurant scene forever.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +01001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110905-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34t2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0144tkfKitchen DesignersA special edition with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen looking at the history of kitchen designs and the designers who have influenced the most important space in our homes.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.A special edition with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen looking at the history of kitchen design.A special edition with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen looking at the history of kitchen designs and the designers who have influenced the most important space in our homes.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 28 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +01001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110829-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34tk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b013rjgmFood Icons: Major Patrick RanceIn a series looking at the people who've changed the way we eat, The Food Programme profiles the campaigner and cheese expert Major Patrick Rance.
In the 1950s he set up a shop which offered a rare sight: row after row of British cheeses. By promoting and selling farmhouse cheeses he saved many from extinction.
Later in the 1980s he became a prolific writer publishing The Great British Cheese Book in 1982. For the first time home-produced cheeses were documented and explained. He inspired a new generation of farmers, producers and retailers to bring a food culture back from the brink.
Chef Richard Corrigan, writer Juliet Harbutt and cheese expert Randolph Hodgson all explain why Patrick Rance's legacy is still alive today.
Producer: Dan Saladino.In a series on people who've changed the way we eat, The Food Programme profiles Pat RanceIn a series looking at the people who've changed the way we eat, The Food Programme profiles the campaigner and cheese expert Major Patrick Rance.
In the 1950s he set up a shop which offered a rare sight: row after row of British cheeses. By promoting and selling farmhouse cheeses he saved many from extinction.
Later in the 1980s he became a prolific writer publishing The Great British Cheese Book in 1982. For the first time home-produced cheeses were documented and explained. He inspired a new generation of farmers, producers and retailers to bring a food culture back from the brink.
Chef Richard Corrigan, writer Juliet Harbutt and cheese expert Randolph Hodgson all explain why Patrick Rance's legacy is still alive today.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 21 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +01001443http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110822-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34v4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b013fm7gScotland's Food PolicyThe Food Programme looks at Scotland's first ever national food policy, introduced by the SNP, to try and join up every aspect of food production and health in the country. Presented by Sheila Dillon.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.With Sheila Dillon. A look at Scotland's first ever national food policy.The Food Programme looks at Scotland's first ever national food policy, introduced by the SNP, to try and join up every aspect of food production and health in the country. Presented by Sheila Dillon.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.Sun, 14 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +01001666http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110815-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34vw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0134zx8Mario CassandroSheila Dillon looks back at the life of Mario Cassandro - the man who helped re-invent the restaurant in Britain.
Together with his business partner, Franco Lagattolla, Mario Cassandro helped make dining out in 1960s Britain a far more fun, informal and gastronomically pleasing experience.
A former waiter from Naples he created Soho's Terrazza Restaurant. As well as attracting the like of Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and Princess Margaret it was a restaurant that brought together all layers of British society.
They were all keen to experience a new look in restaurant design (care of Enzo Appicella, the man who went on to create the look of the early Pizza Express restaurants) as well carefully sourced and authentic ingredients.
Mario Cassandro passed away this summer, former Good Food Restaurant Guide editor Tom Jaine described him as one of a small number of people who helped transform the restaurant industry in the UK. Tom joins Sheila to help tell his story.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon looks at the life of Mario Cassandro, a man who re-invented the restaurant.Sheila Dillon looks back at the life of Mario Cassandro - the man who helped re-invent the restaurant in Britain.
Together with his business partner, Franco Lagattolla, Mario Cassandro helped make dining out in 1960s Britain a far more fun, informal and gastronomically pleasing experience.
A former waiter from Naples he created Soho's Terrazza Restaurant. As well as attracting the like of Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and Princess Margaret it was a restaurant that brought together all layers of British society.
They were all keen to experience a new look in restaurant design (care of Enzo Appicella, the man who went on to create the look of the early Pizza Express restaurants) as well carefully sourced and authentic ingredients.
Mario Cassandro passed away this summer, former Good Food Restaurant Guide editor Tom Jaine described him as one of a small number of people who helped transform the restaurant industry in the UK. Tom joins Sheila to help tell his story.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 07 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +01001678http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110808-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34w9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b013027cYeastYeasts, mysterious members of the fungi kingdom, are an essential part of our food production. They play a critical role in baking, brewing, wine-making and much more.
Dr Bill Simpson is the Managing Director of a company in Leatherhead that has hundreds of samples of yeasts, old and new, frozen in liquid nitrogen. By preserving different yeasts from around the world his team are able to recreate ales and lagers from the past.
Vincent Talleu stumbled upon baking by chance but is now consumed by a passion for good, tasty, healthy bread. Working with a twenty-year-old Swedish yeast 'starter' in an artisan bakery in London, he believes that 'real bread' must be made as it used to be; slowly. This allows the yeast to work its magic.
Andrew Whitley is a food educator who started the Village Bakery with a yeast sample he brought back to the UK from Russia. For Andrew, there is absolutely no reason why natural yeasts cannot be used much more widely in bread-making, so that loaves with no synthetic additives and longer production times can be available to all.
John Downes pioneered the Australian sourdough revolution in the seventies, and is now working daily with yeasts, recreating the indigenous loaf of the British Isles: ale-barm bread.
Producer: Rich Ward.A global commodity, and now part of a food revival. Sheila Dillon on the wonders of yeast.Yeasts, mysterious members of the fungi kingdom, are an essential part of our food production. They play a critical role in baking, brewing, wine-making and much more.
Dr Bill Simpson is the Managing Director of a company in Leatherhead that has hundreds of samples of yeasts, old and new, frozen in liquid nitrogen. By preserving different yeasts from around the world his team are able to recreate ales and lagers from the past.
Vincent Talleu stumbled upon baking by chance but is now consumed by a passion for good, tasty, healthy bread. Working with a twenty-year-old Swedish yeast 'starter' in an artisan bakery in London, he believes that 'real bread' must be made as it used to be; slowly. This allows the yeast to work its magic.
Andrew Whitley is a food educator who started the Village Bakery with a yeast sample he brought back to the UK from Russia. For Andrew, there is absolutely no reason why natural yeasts cannot be used much more widely in bread-making, so that loaves with no synthetic additives and longer production times can be available to all.
John Downes pioneered the Australian sourdough revolution in the seventies, and is now working daily with yeasts, recreating the indigenous loaf of the British Isles: ale-barm bread.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +01001670http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110801-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34wl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b012wcl6School FoodSheila Dillon follows two schools as they attempt to transform the way their pupils eat.Sheila Dillon follows two schools as they attempt to transform the way their pupils eat.Sheila Dillon follows two schools as they attempt to transform the way their pupils eat.Sun, 24 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +01001664http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110725-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34x0.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b012qn51Emergency FoodSheila Dillon investigates how emergency foods are made for disasters, droughts and wars. Companies developing meals for the crisis in the Horn of Africa explain their latest work.
Sheila also visits one of the biggest emergency food hubs in the world, The United Nations' World Food Programme base in Brindisi in Southern Italy. From one warehouse, food for hundreds of thousands of people can be stored and dispatched within a few hours of a crisis call coming in.
In Rome teams of nutritionists are looking into the very latest foods that can be sent around the world for populations affected by drought, conflict and earthquakes.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon investigates how emergency foods are made for disasters, droughts and wars.Sheila Dillon investigates how emergency foods are made for disasters, droughts and wars. Companies developing meals for the crisis in the Horn of Africa explain their latest work.
Sheila also visits one of the biggest emergency food hubs in the world, The United Nations' World Food Programme base in Brindisi in Southern Italy. From one warehouse, food for hundreds of thousands of people can be stored and dispatched within a few hours of a crisis call coming in.
In Rome teams of nutritionists are looking into the very latest foods that can be sent around the world for populations affected by drought, conflict and earthquakes.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +01001668http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110718-1431.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34xp.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b012jf8qTrans-fatsSheila Dillon investigates the issue of trans-fats in our food, and asks whether a voluntary agreement by the food industry to eliminate them by the end of the year is enough to prevent the kind of health problems associated with a diet heavy in industrial cooking fats.Sheila Dillon investigates the issue of trans-fats in our food.Sheila Dillon investigates the issue of trans-fats in our food, and asks whether a voluntary agreement by the food industry to eliminate them by the end of the year is enough to prevent the kind of health problems associated with a diet heavy in industrial cooking fats.Sun, 10 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +01001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110711-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34xw.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b012f7f5Food in the Scottish BordersBen Weatherall farms rare Blackface sheep and Galloway cattle on his remote hill farm near Dumfries, and aims to rear his animals with as little input as possible. He's one of a number of people working to keep food traditions alive in the Scottish Borders.
Following the River Nith downhill, as the animals will be doing later in the year, Sheila Dillon also meets Jim Henderson who has overseen the transformation of this stretch of the river. Formerly polluted and with low fish stocks it is now clean and stocks are thriving. Jim also plays a key part in the ongoing battle with poachers.
Ben's brother's farm is home to a rare herd of pedigree indigenous Ayrshire cattle. They're well known for their incredible cream and milk - but the raw (unpasteurised) milk is not allowed to be sold under Scottish law.
Robbie Cowan, Tom Brown and Ronnie Clark practice the ancient Norse fishing technique known as Haaf Netting, a practice in harmony with fish stocks. They believe the survival of this method to be essential to preserving local heritage, yet it's not possible to make a living from it now as fish numbers are down.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sheila Dillon seeks out fish and cattle along the River Nith.Ben Weatherall farms rare Blackface sheep and Galloway cattle on his remote hill farm near Dumfries, and aims to rear his animals with as little input as possible. He's one of a number of people working to keep food traditions alive in the Scottish Borders.
Following the River Nith downhill, as the animals will be doing later in the year, Sheila Dillon also meets Jim Henderson who has overseen the transformation of this stretch of the river. Formerly polluted and with low fish stocks it is now clean and stocks are thriving. Jim also plays a key part in the ongoing battle with poachers.
Ben's brother's farm is home to a rare herd of pedigree indigenous Ayrshire cattle. They're well known for their incredible cream and milk - but the raw (unpasteurised) milk is not allowed to be sold under Scottish law.
Robbie Cowan, Tom Brown and Ronnie Clark practice the ancient Norse fishing technique known as Haaf Netting, a practice in harmony with fish stocks. They believe the survival of this method to be essential to preserving local heritage, yet it's not possible to make a living from it now as fish numbers are down.
Producer: Rich Ward.Sun, 03 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +01001436http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110704-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34y2.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0128hsdNew FoodiesFood writer Tim Hayward investigates a new wave of food entrepreneurship started by professionals seeking a second career or life change, often due to redundancy. Can the food industry sustain this new creative bubble?Food writer Tim Hayward investigates a new wave of food entrepreneurship.Food writer Tim Hayward investigates a new wave of food entrepreneurship started by professionals seeking a second career or life change, often due to redundancy. Can the food industry sustain this new creative bubble?Sun, 26 Jun 2011 01:00:00 +01001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110627-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34y9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0122pcrSanjay and the SardineCornish based chef Sanjay Kumar goes on a cooking mission to Italy to save the Cornish sardine.
The pilchard and its young offspring the sardine used to be the basis of a thriving fishing and processing industry in Cornwall. In the late 19th century nearly 20 thousand tonnes of sardine was caught, salted, packed and sent to northern Italy where it was highly prized.
By the end of the 20th century the fish had fallen out of favour. Supplies of the fish were still abundant but consumers had started to switch to more aspirational fish like cod and salmon. Sardines being landed fell below 10 tonnes. Fisherman gave up the profession, boats were destroyed and processing plants closed.
Now with concerns over global stocks, one solution is for more of us to switch to "poorer" more abundant fish species like the sardine and pilchard.
Chef Sanjay Kumar, born in Calcutta and now based in Cornwall, wants to help make that happen. He moved to the county five years ago, fell in love with Cornish food and its fishing traditions.
In May Sanjay travelled to a bi-annual event held in Italy called Slow Fish. It brings together fishermen, chefs, policy experts and fish scientists, all keen to promote small scale, traditional and sustainable forms of fishing. His mission was to use the event to find new ideas to help revive Cornish fishing tradition.
As well as cooking a traditional Italian sardine dish, meeting fellow campaigning chefs, Sanjay also gets to interview the European Union's Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki. Find out how Sanjay's trip can make a difference to how we all think about fish.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Cornish chef Sanjay Kumar goes on a cooking mission to Italy to save the Cornish sardine.Cornish based chef Sanjay Kumar goes on a cooking mission to Italy to save the Cornish sardine.
The pilchard and its young offspring the sardine used to be the basis of a thriving fishing and processing industry in Cornwall. In the late 19th century nearly 20 thousand tonnes of sardine was caught, salted, packed and sent to northern Italy where it was highly prized.
By the end of the 20th century the fish had fallen out of favour. Supplies of the fish were still abundant but consumers had started to switch to more aspirational fish like cod and salmon. Sardines being landed fell below 10 tonnes. Fisherman gave up the profession, boats were destroyed and processing plants closed.
Now with concerns over global stocks, one solution is for more of us to switch to "poorer" more abundant fish species like the sardine and pilchard.
Chef Sanjay Kumar, born in Calcutta and now based in Cornwall, wants to help make that happen. He moved to the county five years ago, fell in love with Cornish food and its fishing traditions.
In May Sanjay travelled to a bi-annual event held in Italy called Slow Fish. It brings together fishermen, chefs, policy experts and fish scientists, all keen to promote small scale, traditional and sustainable forms of fishing. His mission was to use the event to find new ideas to help revive Cornish fishing tradition.
As well as cooking a traditional Italian sardine dish, meeting fellow campaigning chefs, Sanjay also gets to interview the European Union's Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki. Find out how Sanjay's trip can make a difference to how we all think about fish.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:00:00 +01001686http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110620-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34ym.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b011zld8National TrustSince the National Trust began its campaign put food towards the top of its agenda, how far have its efforts to change the way we think about food progressed?Has the National Trust succeeded in becoming a major proponent of good food?Since the National Trust began its campaign put food towards the top of its agenda, how far have its efforts to change the way we think about food progressed?Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:00:00 +01001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110612-1230.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34yv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b011p1kdBurgers and meatThe burger is one of the world's most popular foods and it made meat eating affordable for millions, but it also became the food that symbolised many of the failings of the world's modern food system.
Sheila Dillon looks at a new attempt to revive its reputation as a quality food. This new "burger scene" where immense care is taken with sourcing the meat and using the right cuts, reflects not only a shift in burger eating, but also in attitudes to meat eating itself.
The highly respected food and farming writers Simon Fairlie and Colin Tudge both share the views on eating meat in the 21st century.
Producer: Dan Saladino
Photography: Paul-Winch Furness.Sheila Dillon looks at the hamburger and it how changed the world's attitudes to meat.The burger is one of the world's most popular foods and it made meat eating affordable for millions, but it also became the food that symbolised many of the failings of the world's modern food system.
Sheila Dillon looks at a new attempt to revive its reputation as a quality food. This new "burger scene" where immense care is taken with sourcing the meat and using the right cuts, reflects not only a shift in burger eating, but also in attitudes to meat eating itself.
The highly respected food and farming writers Simon Fairlie and Colin Tudge both share the views on eating meat in the 21st century.
Producer: Dan Saladino
Photography: Paul-Winch Furness.Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:00:00 +01001439http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110606-1635.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34z9.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b011tw7nThe Real Food DebateThe Food Programme investigates whether the Great British food renaissance is over. With food prices rising and consumer confidence falling, has the UK's good food bubble burst?
Sheila Dillon visits the Real Food Festival at Earls Court in London. It is a showcase for producers of fine food, and so a perfect indicator of how premium food products and sales are faring in the current economic downturn. Sheila meets chefs, farmers, producers and economists to discuss whether the British food renaissance is doomed, or in fact whether it ever even began.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon, Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.Sheila Dillon investigates whether the Great British food renaissance is over.The Food Programme investigates whether the Great British food renaissance is over. With food prices rising and consumer confidence falling, has the UK's good food bubble burst?
Sheila Dillon visits the Real Food Festival at Earls Court in London. It is a showcase for producers of fine food, and so a perfect indicator of how premium food products and sales are faring in the current economic downturn. Sheila meets chefs, farmers, producers and economists to discuss whether the British food renaissance is doomed, or in fact whether it ever even began.
Presenter: Sheila Dillon, Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.Sun, 29 May 2011 01:00:00 +01001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110530-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q34zp.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b011j39xVinegarSheila Dillon reveals the secrets behind some of the world's great vinegars.
Traditionally, the home of balsamic vinegar is Modena in Italy. But now there is a new breed of British producers who are turning their hands to making this viscous dark brown condiment, as well as others who are producing a sumptuous array of fruit vinegars.
Sheila Dillon hears from the producers, both in Italy and in the UK, discusses the process and the products - and samples the end results with foodwriter and critic, Charles Campion.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Sheila Dillon reveals the secrets behind some of the world's great vinegars.Sheila Dillon reveals the secrets behind some of the world's great vinegars.
Traditionally, the home of balsamic vinegar is Modena in Italy. But now there is a new breed of British producers who are turning their hands to making this viscous dark brown condiment, as well as others who are producing a sumptuous array of fruit vinegars.
Sheila Dillon hears from the producers, both in Italy and in the UK, discusses the process and the products - and samples the end results with foodwriter and critic, Charles Campion.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Sun, 22 May 2011 01:00:00 +01001625http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110523-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3501.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0118cn1The Coffee BusinessWith coffee prices at a 30 year high Sheila Dillon traces the money we pay for a cup along the supply chain and also hears how it raises big questions for Fairtrade.
Recently the price for coffee on the world market broke through the important $3.00 barrier. Just a few years ago prices were as low as 60 cents.
Speculation from investors is one reason, but other factors like growing demand for coffee in Brazil and China look like creating a long term spike in prices. So what does this mean for growers and what will this mean for us? Will we start to taste the difference as roasters in the UK are forced to source different and cheaper beans?
This price spike also raises big questions for the Fairtrade model. Current prices are way above Fairtrade's minimum price, so do coffee growers still need Fairtrade?
Producer: Dan Saladino.Coffee prices are at a 30 year high. Sheila Dillon traces the money along the supply chainWith coffee prices at a 30 year high Sheila Dillon traces the money we pay for a cup along the supply chain and also hears how it raises big questions for Fairtrade.
Recently the price for coffee on the world market broke through the important $3.00 barrier. Just a few years ago prices were as low as 60 cents.
Speculation from investors is one reason, but other factors like growing demand for coffee in Brazil and China look like creating a long term spike in prices. So what does this mean for growers and what will this mean for us? Will we start to taste the difference as roasters in the UK are forced to source different and cheaper beans?
This price spike also raises big questions for the Fairtrade model. Current prices are way above Fairtrade's minimum price, so do coffee growers still need Fairtrade?
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 15 May 2011 01:00:00 +01001681http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110523-1500.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3509.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b011297wClimate Change FarmInvestigating every aspect of the food we eat. Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Rebecca Moore.Investigating every aspect of the food we eat. Presented by Sheila Dillon.Investigating every aspect of the food we eat. Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Rebecca Moore.Sun, 08 May 2011 01:00:00 +01001677http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110509-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q350l.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b010xy3gRoyal FoodSimon Parkes explores the connection between Royal wedding banquets and British food. From historic feasts with hundreds of lavish dishes, to present day 'austerity'.
A visit to the Tudor kitchens of Hampton Court palace reveals the scale and grandeur of wedding feasts of the past. Power, wealth and their display was all-important, and food was a central part of this. Huge marzipan sculptures, models in food of St Paul's Cathedral, and in the case of James II, a feast with 145 dishes in the first course alone; nothing was too extravagant or beyond the skill of the working-class cooks who invented these dishes. And historically, even beggars on the street got to share the food of the wedding feast, after each layer of the aristocracy had enjoyed its fill.
Food historian Ivan Day traces the evolution of buffets, wedding breakfasts, and looks at the influence of 'the first celebrity chef' - Patrick Lamb, master cook to four monarchs, and author of an early aspirational cookery book.
And as bunting and trestle tables take their place in streets across the UK, The Food Programme asks whether royal food has left a legacy of public feasting which might enhance 21st century communities.
Presenter: Simon Parkes Producer: Melvin Rickarby.Simon Parkes explores the connection between royal wedding banquets and British food.Simon Parkes explores the connection between Royal wedding banquets and British food. From historic feasts with hundreds of lavish dishes, to present day 'austerity'.
A visit to the Tudor kitchens of Hampton Court palace reveals the scale and grandeur of wedding feasts of the past. Power, wealth and their display was all-important, and food was a central part of this. Huge marzipan sculptures, models in food of St Paul's Cathedral, and in the case of James II, a feast with 145 dishes in the first course alone; nothing was too extravagant or beyond the skill of the working-class cooks who invented these dishes. And historically, even beggars on the street got to share the food of the wedding feast, after each layer of the aristocracy had enjoyed its fill.
Food historian Ivan Day traces the evolution of buffets, wedding breakfasts, and looks at the influence of 'the first celebrity chef' - Patrick Lamb, master cook to four monarchs, and author of an early aspirational cookery book.
And as bunting and trestle tables take their place in streets across the UK, The Food Programme asks whether royal food has left a legacy of public feasting which might enhance 21st century communities.
Presenter: Simon Parkes Producer: Melvin Rickarby.Sun, 01 May 2011 01:00:00 +01001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110502-1625.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q350s.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b010t31lMargate's Food Stories - Pie Days and HolidaysMargate's Food Stories - Pie Days and Holidays.
The Food Programme follows Sophie Herxheimer an artist who collects and draws food stories. For four months she has been travelling around the seaside town of Margate in the south east to bring people's food memories to life through art.
Her aim is to create an exhibition and a book to celebrate the people of the town and give them an opportunity to share personal stories.
Once a thriving holiday destination for Londoners Margate is now trying to find a new identity. The recently opened Turner Contemporary Gallery is one step in that process. Sophie Herxheimer is hoping the food stories, and her drawings will also make a contribution to Margate's future.
The project was launched at Christmas in the town's Tudor House and produced a wide range of stories; funny, sad, nostalgic, joyful, eccentric and thought provoking.
People were invited to sit down, talk and watch their memories appear as Sophie drew them live. The work has been building up to the Easter bank holiday weekend when all of Sophie's drawings will be unveiled to the public.
Producer: Dan Saladino
Reporter: Sara Parker.Featuring Sophie Herxheimer, an artist who collects and draws food stories.Margate's Food Stories - Pie Days and Holidays.
The Food Programme follows Sophie Herxheimer an artist who collects and draws food stories. For four months she has been travelling around the seaside town of Margate in the south east to bring people's food memories to life through art.
Her aim is to create an exhibition and a book to celebrate the people of the town and give them an opportunity to share personal stories.
Once a thriving holiday destination for Londoners Margate is now trying to find a new identity. The recently opened Turner Contemporary Gallery is one step in that process. Sophie Herxheimer is hoping the food stories, and her drawings will also make a contribution to Margate's future.
The project was launched at Christmas in the town's Tudor House and produced a wide range of stories; funny, sad, nostalgic, joyful, eccentric and thought provoking.
People were invited to sit down, talk and watch their memories appear as Sophie drew them live. The work has been building up to the Easter bank holiday weekend when all of Sophie's drawings will be unveiled to the public.
Producer: Dan Saladino
Reporter: Sara Parker.Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +01001663http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110425-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3513.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b010lyy6Borough MarketBorough Market, in south east London has been, and is, a food phenomenon. It took off in the 1990s, riding in the wake of the BSE outbreak that had led to a new interest in the source of our food. As it developed it looked as though a few seedy acres on the south bank of the Thames were going to give us, for the first time in decades, a market as good as the very best in France, Spain or Italy.
And Borough's influence stretches beyond London: it served as a model for other local authorities for what a market could be, and how it could regenerate communities and areas. Even supermarkets imitated its ranges as urban wealth reached rural pockets.
But the market's success has latterly been overshadowed by criticisms that it has lost its way, catering now for tourists not local cooks, and introducing rising tariffs on traders that some say threaten their businesses.
Sheila Dillon charts the rise of the market with some of its founders, and asks the Chair of Trustees for the Borough Market, Peter Wilkinson, has this nationally important market lost its way?
Producer Rebecca Moore.Sheila Dillon charts the success of London's Borough Market and asks, 'Where now?'.Borough Market, in south east London has been, and is, a food phenomenon. It took off in the 1990s, riding in the wake of the BSE outbreak that had led to a new interest in the source of our food. As it developed it looked as though a few seedy acres on the south bank of the Thames were going to give us, for the first time in decades, a market as good as the very best in France, Spain or Italy.
And Borough's influence stretches beyond London: it served as a model for other local authorities for what a market could be, and how it could regenerate communities and areas. Even supermarkets imitated its ranges as urban wealth reached rural pockets.
But the market's success has latterly been overshadowed by criticisms that it has lost its way, catering now for tourists not local cooks, and introducing rising tariffs on traders that some say threaten their businesses.
Sheila Dillon charts the rise of the market with some of its founders, and asks the Chair of Trustees for the Borough Market, Peter Wilkinson, has this nationally important market lost its way?
Producer Rebecca Moore.Sun, 17 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +01001693http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110418-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q351c.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b010dfh3Food and the Sicilian mafiaSheila Dillon looks at the role of food producers and farmers in combating the Sicilian mafia.
The Sicilian "Cosa Nostra" emerged around the citrus groves of Palermo in the 19th century as control of farming and food production fell into the hands of estate managers and middle men.
From that time the influence of the mafia over food production and distribution on the island has been extensive.
In recent decades the work of investigators like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino did much to lessen the power of the mafia but its involvement in the food business continues to this day.
Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs and anti-mafia campaigners are using food to send a message around the world that Sicily is breaking away from that past.
Producer Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon looks at the role of food businesses in combating the Sicilian mafia.Sheila Dillon looks at the role of food producers and farmers in combating the Sicilian mafia.
The Sicilian "Cosa Nostra" emerged around the citrus groves of Palermo in the 19th century as control of farming and food production fell into the hands of estate managers and middle men.
From that time the influence of the mafia over food production and distribution on the island has been extensive.
In recent decades the work of investigators like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino did much to lessen the power of the mafia but its involvement in the food business continues to this day.
Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs and anti-mafia campaigners are using food to send a message around the world that Sicily is breaking away from that past.
Producer Dan Saladino.Sun, 10 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +01001665http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110412-1442.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q351l.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b0105rhgFood and the Unification of ItalySheila Dillon explores a food story behind the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. In 1861 Italians came together as one nation, but does food reveal a different story?
Sheila travels to Sicily where she hears how the island's powerful food culture is seen as evidence by some of disappointment with the creation of a nation state. She meets food historian Mary Taylor Simeti who explains how menus in the 19th century show how Sicilians rejected the temptations of food from the mainland and further afield.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon explores a food story behind the 150th anniversary of Italian unification.Sheila Dillon explores a food story behind the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. In 1861 Italians came together as one nation, but does food reveal a different story?
Sheila travels to Sicily where she hears how the island's powerful food culture is seen as evidence by some of disappointment with the creation of a nation state. She meets food historian Mary Taylor Simeti who explains how menus in the 19th century show how Sicilians rejected the temptations of food from the mainland and further afield.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +01001649http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110405-1628.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q351q.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00zzn2fNatural WineNatural Wine is the latest buzz in the wine world but what is it? Sheila Dillon discusses and samples this chemical and additive-free "new" wine that was in fact quaffed by the Ancient Romans.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Natural wine is the latest buzz in the wine world but what is it? Sheila Dillon finds out.Natural Wine is the latest buzz in the wine world but what is it? Sheila Dillon discusses and samples this chemical and additive-free "new" wine that was in fact quaffed by the Ancient Romans.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Sun, 27 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +00001670http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110328-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q351w.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00zq9vpFrozen FoodIn France there is no shame in shopping in Picard. The specialist frozen food chain commands 18% of the french frozen market by selling quality frozen food to meet the needs of a time poor, food loving bourgeoisie.
Simon Parkes explores today's frozen food market, and asks if our own frozen sector could follow their lead?
Natalie Berg, Global Research Director of Planet Retail looks at current trends in the market which has seen a strong recovery during the recession. Brian Young, Director General of the British Frozen Food Federation, outlines the potential for the market, and constraints, most notably the success of chilled food ranges. Ian Keyes talks about the challenges of launching their value added, local "Yorkshire Peas" range. And Christine Tacon, Managing Director of Co-operative Farms, outlines the work done by the Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce which means that from 6th April plain frozen fruit and veg will be included in the Healthy Start voucher scheme.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Frozen food has been a recession success, but can it muscle in on the premium market?In France there is no shame in shopping in Picard. The specialist frozen food chain commands 18% of the french frozen market by selling quality frozen food to meet the needs of a time poor, food loving bourgeoisie.
Simon Parkes explores today's frozen food market, and asks if our own frozen sector could follow their lead?
Natalie Berg, Global Research Director of Planet Retail looks at current trends in the market which has seen a strong recovery during the recession. Brian Young, Director General of the British Frozen Food Federation, outlines the potential for the market, and constraints, most notably the success of chilled food ranges. Ian Keyes talks about the challenges of launching their value added, local "Yorkshire Peas" range. And Christine Tacon, Managing Director of Co-operative Farms, outlines the work done by the Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce which means that from 6th April plain frozen fruit and veg will be included in the Healthy Start voucher scheme.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +00001677http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110321-1631.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3523.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00zl4dsBritish CharcuterieFood writer Tim Hayward goes in search of British charcuterie - the preserved meat that we tend to think of as Contintental. He finds that making it is thriving and closer to its origins in the home than he had expected. He meets a couple whose hobby smoking meats has turned into a career; a shopkeeper, a publican and a restaurateur who cure hams and salamis on the premises for customers, and a pig farming family who have taken to curing their own pork. He learns about the British traditions of salting and pickling meats and talks to author Lindy Wildsmith about how we can do it at home - and even has a go at making his own bacon.
Producer: Harry Parker.Food writer Tim Hayward goes in search of British charcuterie.Food writer Tim Hayward goes in search of British charcuterie - the preserved meat that we tend to think of as Contintental. He finds that making it is thriving and closer to its origins in the home than he had expected. He meets a couple whose hobby smoking meats has turned into a career; a shopkeeper, a publican and a restaurateur who cure hams and salamis on the premises for customers, and a pig farming family who have taken to curing their own pork. He learns about the British traditions of salting and pickling meats and talks to author Lindy Wildsmith about how we can do it at home - and even has a go at making his own bacon.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +00001687http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110314-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3528.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00zd8g0Japan's Food DilemmaSimon Parkes reports from Japan on new ideas being developed for the future of the nation's food supplies.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Simon Parkes reports from Japan on new ideas being developed for the future its food.Simon Parkes reports from Japan on new ideas being developed for the future of the nation's food supplies.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +00001663http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110307-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q352g.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00z2sj8MaltSheila Dillon investigates the role malt plays in our drinks and diet. Malt has been around for millennia and is a natural ingredient in many but many people won't realise how ubiquitous it is. As well as being the foundation of beer and whisky, its flavour and richness makes it a favourite for uses in bakery, breakfast cereals and confectionary as well as being an important export for the country. Sheila talks to a distiller, a baker and a brewer about malt's remarkable properties and visits a traditional maltster to find out how malt is made.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sheila Dillon investigates the role malt plays in our drinks and diet.Sheila Dillon investigates the role malt plays in our drinks and diet. Malt has been around for millennia and is a natural ingredient in many but many people won't realise how ubiquitous it is. As well as being the foundation of beer and whisky, its flavour and richness makes it a favourite for uses in bakery, breakfast cereals and confectionary as well as being an important export for the country. Sheila talks to a distiller, a baker and a brewer about malt's remarkable properties and visits a traditional maltster to find out how malt is made.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +00001669http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110228-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q352r.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00yw6khAndrew Lansley on Food and ObesityFood and the coalition. How does the government intend to change the way Britain eats? Sheila Dillon interviews Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Food and the coalition. Sheila Dillon interviews Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.Food and the coalition. How does the government intend to change the way Britain eats? Sheila Dillon interviews Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +00001653http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110223-1147.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3530.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00ym9lzWhat is milk?Filtered, homogenised, standardised, raw, full fat, low fat - what is milk? Sheila Dillon teases out this seemingly simple question with Professor Peter Atkins, author of Liquid Materialities: A History of Milk, Science and the Law, who charts the changing stuff that we call milk.
Today's milk reflects today's interests, charted by Mintel in their most recent intelligence report on milk and cream, particularly the success of filtered milk Cravendale (Arla), and the 1% pioneered by Robert Wiseman Dairies, and widely copied since. Sheila visits the Arla Dairy in Stourton, Leeds, to find out about the many processes today's milk goes through to suit our current tastes.
The success of the 1% milk has been driven by the FSA campaign to reduce saturated fats. But as Professor Ian Givens Director of the University of Reading's Centre for Dairy Research explains, the evidence connecting milk consumption with cardiovascular disease shows a slight reduction in higher milk drinkers from lower milk drinkers.
Raw milk, despite being banned in Scotland and sold with a health warning in England and Wales, has seen sales growth recently, a result of farmers markets, online sales, and the beliefs of many that raw milk straight from the cow is a fundamentally different substance. Dr Natasha Campbell McBride advocates raw milk for many of her patients for a range of conditions, including lactose intolerance. To find out about modern raw milk production Sheila visited Hook & Son, who sell online and through farmers markets.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.What is milk? Sheila Dillon explores the familiar but constantly changing white stuff.Filtered, homogenised, standardised, raw, full fat, low fat - what is milk? Sheila Dillon teases out this seemingly simple question with Professor Peter Atkins, author of Liquid Materialities: A History of Milk, Science and the Law, who charts the changing stuff that we call milk.
Today's milk reflects today's interests, charted by Mintel in their most recent intelligence report on milk and cream, particularly the success of filtered milk Cravendale (Arla), and the 1% pioneered by Robert Wiseman Dairies, and widely copied since. Sheila visits the Arla Dairy in Stourton, Leeds, to find out about the many processes today's milk goes through to suit our current tastes.
The success of the 1% milk has been driven by the FSA campaign to reduce saturated fats. But as Professor Ian Givens Director of the University of Reading's Centre for Dairy Research explains, the evidence connecting milk consumption with cardiovascular disease shows a slight reduction in higher milk drinkers from lower milk drinkers.
Raw milk, despite being banned in Scotland and sold with a health warning in England and Wales, has seen sales growth recently, a result of farmers markets, online sales, and the beliefs of many that raw milk straight from the cow is a fundamentally different substance. Dr Natasha Campbell McBride advocates raw milk for many of her patients for a range of conditions, including lactose intolerance. To find out about modern raw milk production Sheila visited Hook & Son, who sell online and through farmers markets.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +00001697http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110214-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3537.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00yhv32Cooking in SchoolsSheila Dillon explores the past present and future of cooking and food preparation in the school curriculum. She learns how it was introduced in the 1800s to educate girls for domestic service and is now part of the design and technology syllabus. Sheila looks at two approaches to food education in a primary and a secondary school and hears from interested parties the reasons for making cooking compulsory at secondary level.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sheila Dillon looks at the future of cooking and food preparation in the school curriculumSheila Dillon explores the past present and future of cooking and food preparation in the school curriculum. She learns how it was introduced in the 1800s to educate girls for domestic service and is now part of the design and technology syllabus. Sheila looks at two approaches to food education in a primary and a secondary school and hears from interested parties the reasons for making cooking compulsory at secondary level.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +00001667http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110207-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q353f.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00y50qmFood in Ireland After the CrisisSheila Dillon investigates some of the food stories behind Ireland's economic collapse and asks what role food will play in deciding the Republic's future?Sheila Dillon investigates some of the food stories behind Ireland's economic collapse.Sheila Dillon investigates some of the food stories behind Ireland's economic collapse and asks what role food will play in deciding the Republic's future?Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +00001450http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110131-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q353l.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00y203vLyme Bay and ShellfishSheila Dillon investigates the appeal of shellfish - bivalves and molluscs - from the point of view of taste and sustainability and asks why we don't eat them more in Britain. She finds out what has happened to the marine environment in Lyme Bay since a scallop dredging ban was introduced in part of it and about the implications of a proposed mussel farm there. She discovers why whelk fishing is a big export industry with low environmental impact and oysters are ecologically friendly. Chef Mark Hix shows what can be done with the lesser used varieties like whelks and razor clams.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sheila Dillon investigates developing trends in the shellfish trade.Sheila Dillon investigates the appeal of shellfish - bivalves and molluscs - from the point of view of taste and sustainability and asks why we don't eat them more in Britain. She finds out what has happened to the marine environment in Lyme Bay since a scallop dredging ban was introduced in part of it and about the implications of a proposed mussel farm there. She discovers why whelk fishing is a big export industry with low environmental impact and oysters are ecologically friendly. Chef Mark Hix shows what can be done with the lesser used varieties like whelks and razor clams.
Producer: Harry Parker.Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +00001659http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110124-1641.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3545.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00xp1ffAngela Hartnett's Best Producer MealMichelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett prepares a hearty winter's meal for Sheila Dillon using ingredients from the Best Producer category of the 2010 BBC Food and Farming Awards.
On the menu was pumpkin soup, spiced up with a spoonful of chutney from finalists The Tracklements Company, and served with a rather superior cheese on toast made with ciabatta from winner and artisan baker Alex Gooch and cheese from finalist Brenda Leddy's Stichill Jersey cows.
For the main course (in Monday's programme), there was a roasted loin of rare breed Gloucester Old Spot pork from Richard Lutwyche, winner of the Derek Cooper category, an example of successful conservation of a breed through consumption of its meat.
And for dessert, a blow-out of lemon posset made using cream from Stichill Jersey cows, and a crostata combining the Tracklement Company's seasonal medlar jelly, with spiced poached pears. A perfect feast for a cold winter's day.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Angela Hartnett cooks a winter's feast from the 2010 Best Producer Finalists' ingredients.Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett prepares a hearty winter's meal for Sheila Dillon using ingredients from the Best Producer category of the 2010 BBC Food and Farming Awards.
On the menu was pumpkin soup, spiced up with a spoonful of chutney from finalists The Tracklements Company, and served with a rather superior cheese on toast made with ciabatta from winner and artisan baker Alex Gooch and cheese from finalist Brenda Leddy's Stichill Jersey cows.
For the main course (in Monday's programme), there was a roasted loin of rare breed Gloucester Old Spot pork from Richard Lutwyche, winner of the Derek Cooper category, an example of successful conservation of a breed through consumption of its meat.
And for dessert, a blow-out of lemon posset made using cream from Stichill Jersey cows, and a crostata combining the Tracklement Company's seasonal medlar jelly, with spiced poached pears. A perfect feast for a cold winter's day.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +00001693http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110117-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q354d.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00xgs43GadgetsSheila Dillon, with the help of some famous food lovers (including Giorgio Locatelli, Cyrus Todiwala, Fuchsia Dunlop and Bee Wilson) hears about their favourite kitchen gadgets. From a 300 year clockwork roasting spit to a 21st century thermal blender, what are the must-have qualities of these kitchen necessities? And how do you choose from the ever increasing plethora of expensive all-singing-all-dancing gizmos on sale in large kitchenware departments.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Sheila Dillon hears from food lovers about their favourite kitchen gadgets.Sheila Dillon, with the help of some famous food lovers (including Giorgio Locatelli, Cyrus Todiwala, Fuchsia Dunlop and Bee Wilson) hears about their favourite kitchen gadgets. From a 300 year clockwork roasting spit to a 21st century thermal blender, what are the must-have qualities of these kitchen necessities? And how do you choose from the ever increasing plethora of expensive all-singing-all-dancing gizmos on sale in large kitchenware departments.
Producer: Dilly Barlow.Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +00001685http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110110-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q354q.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00x8f2nFood Writing 2010Sheila Dillon traces the legacy of Elizabeth David's more scholarly work and reviews food writing in 2010 with blogger and critic Tim Hayward, photographer Jason Lowe and publisher Anne Dolamore.
We hear from Elizabeth David's literary Executor Jill Norman about the shift in her work from recipe-driven writing in her early career to the later, more academic books and debate who has taken on her legacy of more scholarly food writing today.
Producer: Elaine Lester.Sheila Dillon discusses the legacy of Elizabeth David and reviews food writing in 2010.Sheila Dillon traces the legacy of Elizabeth David's more scholarly work and reviews food writing in 2010 with blogger and critic Tim Hayward, photographer Jason Lowe and publisher Anne Dolamore.
We hear from Elizabeth David's literary Executor Jill Norman about the shift in her work from recipe-driven writing in her early career to the later, more academic books and debate who has taken on her legacy of more scholarly food writing today.
Producer: Elaine Lester.Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +00001689http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20110103-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3554.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00x31xdAlternative Christmas CakesPanettone and chocolate logs - Sheila Dillon embraces two of the cakes replacing our "traditional" Christmas cakes on our Christmas tables, and ponders what what we mean by traditional when it comes to Christmas cakes.
Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas cake. John Dickie, Professor of Italian Studies at University College London and author of "Delizia! A History of the Italians and their Food" traces the history of this highly industrialised product from its Milanese origins, and the manufacturing of this "tradition". Reporter Dany Mitzman visits the Corsini Biscotti panettone factory in Tuscany where panettone is made in the traditional artisan style, using a mother yeast, slow proving, and cooling tipped upside down to allow the dome shape to set naturally, without additives. Their panettone is sold in through the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range. But you can make your own - Fred Manson returned from an Andrew Whitley breadmaking course clutching a panettone recipe, and has been making his own ever since.
As a teenager Sheila Dillon's Christmas culinary rebellion took the form of baking a bouche de noel, the buttercream sculpted chocolate log believed to originate in France, and still produced by the hundred in smart patisseries today. Yule logs are now a popular range for both patiseries and supermarkets in the UK. This year's BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Award Food Champion, baker Richard Bertinet, baked Sheila his own take on the classic cake, adorned with gold leaf and powdered cabernet grape, and food historian Ivan Day tells its history in the UK.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Panettone and chocolate logs: Sheila Dillon embraces our newer Christmas cake traditions.Panettone and chocolate logs - Sheila Dillon embraces two of the cakes replacing our "traditional" Christmas cakes on our Christmas tables, and ponders what what we mean by traditional when it comes to Christmas cakes.
Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas cake. John Dickie, Professor of Italian Studies at University College London and author of "Delizia! A History of the Italians and their Food" traces the history of this highly industrialised product from its Milanese origins, and the manufacturing of this "tradition". Reporter Dany Mitzman visits the Corsini Biscotti panettone factory in Tuscany where panettone is made in the traditional artisan style, using a mother yeast, slow proving, and cooling tipped upside down to allow the dome shape to set naturally, without additives. Their panettone is sold in through the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range. But you can make your own - Fred Manson returned from an Andrew Whitley breadmaking course clutching a panettone recipe, and has been making his own ever since.
As a teenager Sheila Dillon's Christmas culinary rebellion took the form of baking a bouche de noel, the buttercream sculpted chocolate log believed to originate in France, and still produced by the hundred in smart patisseries today. Yule logs are now a popular range for both patiseries and supermarkets in the UK. This year's BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Award Food Champion, baker Richard Bertinet, baked Sheila his own take on the classic cake, adorned with gold leaf and powdered cabernet grape, and food historian Ivan Day tells its history in the UK.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +00001693http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101220-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q355z.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00wntynLapland & the World's Greatest ChefThe Danish chef Rene Redzepi of Noma, the "World's Best Restaurant", forages for food in Lapland and London.
He's become one of the most influential chefs in the world because of his use of wild ingredients, foraged from the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
With dishes that revive lost food traditions, that use unfamiliar ingredients like mosses, lichen, spruces as well as native fruits. fish and fungi he has succeeded in putting a part of Europe ignored for its cuisine on the gastronomic map.
The idea of chefs and restaurants sourcing ingredients from the wild is not new, some already employ foragers but according to Joe Warwick, food writer, restaurant expert and the programme's reporter, Rene Redzepi has taken that approach to sourcing to whole new level.
For anyone sceptical about the abundance of wild foods in Britain suited to the needs of a restaurant Redzepi goes on a foraging trip to north London's Hampstead Heath. There he finds a new ingredient, the service berry.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Rene Redzepi, chef at the 'world's best restaurant' looks for food in Lapland and London.The Danish chef Rene Redzepi of Noma, the "World's Best Restaurant", forages for food in Lapland and London.
He's become one of the most influential chefs in the world because of his use of wild ingredients, foraged from the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
With dishes that revive lost food traditions, that use unfamiliar ingredients like mosses, lichen, spruces as well as native fruits. fish and fungi he has succeeded in putting a part of Europe ignored for its cuisine on the gastronomic map.
The idea of chefs and restaurants sourcing ingredients from the wild is not new, some already employ foragers but according to Joe Warwick, food writer, restaurant expert and the programme's reporter, Rene Redzepi has taken that approach to sourcing to whole new level.
For anyone sceptical about the abundance of wild foods in Britain suited to the needs of a restaurant Redzepi goes on a foraging trip to north London's Hampstead Heath. There he finds a new ingredient, the service berry.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +00001641http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101217-1909.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q356j.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00wr4hzVenisonSheila Dillon explores the varieties of venison - wild and farmed - we can now find in butchers and supermarkets in the UK. She joins a stalker in Berkshire and talks to the biggest game dealer in the country.
Producer Dilly Barlow.Sheila Dillon explores the varieties of venison in butchers and supermarkets in the UK.Sheila Dillon explores the varieties of venison - wild and farmed - we can now find in butchers and supermarkets in the UK. She joins a stalker in Berkshire and talks to the biggest game dealer in the country.
Producer Dilly Barlow.Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +00001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101213-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3577.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00wlbhtStreet Food and TakeawaysFrom Caribbean to Thai and Vietnamese - Simon Parkes looks at the latest trends in British street food and takeaway meals. And we hear from some of the finalists in the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards.
Producer: Elaine Lester.Simon Parkes looks at the latest trends in British street food and takeaway meals.From Caribbean to Thai and Vietnamese - Simon Parkes looks at the latest trends in British street food and takeaway meals. And we hear from some of the finalists in the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards.
Producer: Elaine Lester.Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +00001672http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101206-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q357y.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00wdctnBest Drinks Producer, Food & Farming AwardsA distiller, a brewer and a cider maker - but who will be the first winner of the Food and Farming Awards Best Drinks Producer Award? Oz Clarke joins Sheila Dillon in Birmingham's NEC to reveal all.
Food writer and critic Charles Campion and restaurateur and writer Mark Hix were the judges for this category and talk Sheila through the finalists.
In this first year of the Best Drinks Producer category the judges were overwhelmed with nominations for innovative entrepreneurs making all manner of juice, perry, teas, and wines. But the three drinks chosen - a cask ale, a spirit and a traditional cider - have been made in these islands throughout our history.
Sipsmiths are one of a new generation of artisan distillers riding the coat-tails of pioneer distiller Julian Temperley who battled H M Customs for the right to distil. Simpsmith's were awarded the first London distillers licence in nearly 200 years, and now produce a London gin and a barley vodka from their west London residential neighbourhood distillery.
Mike Henney's Herefordshire ciders are the result of a hobby that got out of hand. From airing cupboard tinkering via farmers markets the brand is now sold throughout the country's main supermarkets, making good quality cider accessible to all. Henney's ciders all have protected name status, with apples sourced from within Herefordshire and the cider is made in a traditional way.
Wye Valley Brewery is a family business started by Peter Amor and now run by his son Vernon. It brings new meaning to local produce - beers are only sold within 50 miles of the brewery, the majority of hops are grown within 7 miles, and one beer, the Dorothy Goodbody Imperial Stout, even used Herefordshire malting barley.Distiller, brewer, or cider maker - Sheila Dillon reveals the Best Drinks Producer.A distiller, a brewer and a cider maker - but who will be the first winner of the Food and Farming Awards Best Drinks Producer Award? Oz Clarke joins Sheila Dillon in Birmingham's NEC to reveal all.
Food writer and critic Charles Campion and restaurateur and writer Mark Hix were the judges for this category and talk Sheila through the finalists.
In this first year of the Best Drinks Producer category the judges were overwhelmed with nominations for innovative entrepreneurs making all manner of juice, perry, teas, and wines. But the three drinks chosen - a cask ale, a spirit and a traditional cider - have been made in these islands throughout our history.
Sipsmiths are one of a new generation of artisan distillers riding the coat-tails of pioneer distiller Julian Temperley who battled H M Customs for the right to distil. Simpsmith's were awarded the first London distillers licence in nearly 200 years, and now produce a London gin and a barley vodka from their west London residential neighbourhood distillery.
Mike Henney's Herefordshire ciders are the result of a hobby that got out of hand. From airing cupboard tinkering via farmers markets the brand is now sold throughout the country's main supermarkets, making good quality cider accessible to all. Henney's ciders all have protected name status, with apples sourced from within Herefordshire and the cider is made in a traditional way.
Wye Valley Brewery is a family business started by Peter Amor and now run by his son Vernon. It brings new meaning to local produce - beers are only sold within 50 miles of the brewery, the majority of hops are grown within 7 miles, and one beer, the Dorothy Goodbody Imperial Stout, even used Herefordshire malting barley.Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +00001691http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101129-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q358g.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00w6pp0Pub FoodSheila Dillon looks at new ideas for using food to save the British pub.
With 40 pubs a week closing down and food sales starting to equal those of drinks, the role of food in the future of the public house has never been more important. Sheila Dillon explores how one pub has come up with a groundbreaking solution to keeping business thriving.
Producer: Dave Battcock.Sheila Dillon looks at new ideas for using food to save the British pub.Sheila Dillon looks at new ideas for using food to save the British pub.
With 40 pubs a week closing down and food sales starting to equal those of drinks, the role of food in the future of the public house has never been more important. Sheila Dillon explores how one pub has come up with a groundbreaking solution to keeping business thriving.
Producer: Dave Battcock.Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +00001656http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101125-1621.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q3599.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00w122mCut Price FruitOver the past few months Supermarket price wars have halved the cost of one of Britain's best loved fruits - the banana. Even though retailers say they aren't passing cuts down to growers Sheila Dillon asks, whether our appetite for cheap fruit is having an impact on workers at the other end of the supply chain. We travel to Ecuador, one of the world's leading banana exporters, to explore the reaction on a plantation.
Elsewhere, in Costa Rica, we hear a disturbing investigation into the lives of pineapple workers who accuse the big exporters of exploitation and union breaking to provide bargain fruit. And on the brighter side of pineapple growing we meet the woman who is working tirelessly to reintroduce farming of the exotic fruit to her island in the Bahamas.
Producer: Deiniol Buxton.Supermarket fruit wars - Sheila Dillon finds out if they cause pain for the producers.Over the past few months Supermarket price wars have halved the cost of one of Britain's best loved fruits - the banana. Even though retailers say they aren't passing cuts down to growers Sheila Dillon asks, whether our appetite for cheap fruit is having an impact on workers at the other end of the supply chain. We travel to Ecuador, one of the world's leading banana exporters, to explore the reaction on a plantation.
Elsewhere, in Costa Rica, we hear a disturbing investigation into the lives of pineapple workers who accuse the big exporters of exploitation and union breaking to provide bargain fruit. And on the brighter side of pineapple growing we meet the woman who is working tirelessly to reintroduce farming of the exotic fruit to her island in the Bahamas.
Producer: Deiniol Buxton.Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +00001683http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101115-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q359k.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00vv8q4Terra MadreSheila Dillon hears from some of the world's disappearing food tribes and finds out why efforts are underway to preserve indigenous food cultures in north America, Scandinavia and in Scotland's Highlands and Islands.
She travels to Turin for Terra Madre, the biannual gathering of food communities, farmers, fishermen and cooks organised by the international Slow Food movement. Among the 6000 delegates who'd travelled from 160 countries are people from indigenous communities like the Sami, nomadic arctic reindeer herders as well as native American rice harvesters, the Ojibwe.
Scientists, agriculturalists and nutritionists are now taking more interest in these traditional cultures seeing them as valuable models of sustainable food production and offering fresh insights into human diets.
But many of these food cultures are under threat because of disputes over land rights, prejudice and climate change and so work is underway to understand, document and support these communities. Sheila meets the people involved in making this happen.
Producer Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon hears from some of the world's disappearing food tribes.Sheila Dillon hears from some of the world's disappearing food tribes and finds out why efforts are underway to preserve indigenous food cultures in north America, Scandinavia and in Scotland's Highlands and Islands.
She travels to Turin for Terra Madre, the biannual gathering of food communities, farmers, fishermen and cooks organised by the international Slow Food movement. Among the 6000 delegates who'd travelled from 160 countries are people from indigenous communities like the Sami, nomadic arctic reindeer herders as well as native American rice harvesters, the Ojibwe.
Scientists, agriculturalists and nutritionists are now taking more interest in these traditional cultures seeing them as valuable models of sustainable food production and offering fresh insights into human diets.
But many of these food cultures are under threat because of disputes over land rights, prejudice and climate change and so work is underway to understand, document and support these communities. Sheila meets the people involved in making this happen.
Producer Dan Saladino.Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +00001689http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101108-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q359t.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00vr9llSustainable Public Food and NottinghamIn these hard economic times does a Private Members Bill introducing new standards for the food sourced by public bodies stand a chance of becoming law? Simon Parkes visits Nottinghamshire, where some hospital meals and all school dinners are procured this way, to look at what such a change might mean in practice.
The Nottingham City Hospital has been sourcing sustainably for 7 years, buying its meat and vegetables from local farmers. Food is fresher, higher quality, and no more expensive, and now over half the money the hospital spends on food goes into the local economy, benefitting local suppliers like dairy wholesalers Transfresh, and butchers Owen Taylor.
Also 7 years ago Nottinghamshire County Council began its process of sourcing its school meals food sustainably, and has now achieved Silver Standard under the Soil Association Food for Life Partnership scheme. Donna Baines, School Food Development Manager, met Simon in Maloney's butchers, which now supplies all their meat, with Alison Maloney and Jeanette Orrey, school meals campaigner, to discuss the impact of these changes on the food, their finances, and the threats posed by the current spending review. The service is currently being "market tested" with a view to potential privisation. Conservative Councillor Andy Stewart explains what that might mean.
In the studio to discuss the Bill are Labour MP Joan Walley (Stoke on Trent North) who tabled the Private Members Bill; Tony Cooke Government Relations Director of catering service provider Sodexo; and Kath Dalmeny, Policy Director of Sustain, which runs the Good Food for Our Money campaign.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Can we afford new standards in public food? Simon Parkes finds out.In these hard economic times does a Private Members Bill introducing new standards for the food sourced by public bodies stand a chance of becoming law? Simon Parkes visits Nottinghamshire, where some hospital meals and all school dinners are procured this way, to look at what such a change might mean in practice.
The Nottingham City Hospital has been sourcing sustainably for 7 years, buying its meat and vegetables from local farmers. Food is fresher, higher quality, and no more expensive, and now over half the money the hospital spends on food goes into the local economy, benefitting local suppliers like dairy wholesalers Transfresh, and butchers Owen Taylor.
Also 7 years ago Nottinghamshire County Council began its process of sourcing its school meals food sustainably, and has now achieved Silver Standard under the Soil Association Food for Life Partnership scheme. Donna Baines, School Food Development Manager, met Simon in Maloney's butchers, which now supplies all their meat, with Alison Maloney and Jeanette Orrey, school meals campaigner, to discuss the impact of these changes on the food, their finances, and the threats posed by the current spending review. The service is currently being "market tested" with a view to potential privisation. Conservative Councillor Andy Stewart explains what that might mean.
In the studio to discuss the Bill are Labour MP Joan Walley (Stoke on Trent North) who tabled the Private Members Bill; Tony Cooke Government Relations Director of catering service provider Sodexo; and Kath Dalmeny, Policy Director of Sustain, which runs the Good Food for Our Money campaign.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 31 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +01001692http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101101-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35b4.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00vkns1Student FoodWhat food do students have access to, what do they eat? Sheila Dillon investigates the catering provided for students across the country in these financially straightened times. She talks to industry expert Chris Druce about the big catering companies and their expansion into higher education. She visits a food co-op at the School of Oriental and African Studies; Dan Saladino visits Plymouth University on the day it hosts its first farmers market and talks to stall holders, students, and Slow Food UK about its efforts to enrol students in its philosophy and approach to food. And Professor Warren Belasco from the University of Maryland describes how there's nothing new about student activism around food - think 60s, the University of California at Berkeley, the counter culture.
Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.What food do students have access to, what do they eat? Sheila Dillon investigates.What food do students have access to, what do they eat? Sheila Dillon investigates the catering provided for students across the country in these financially straightened times. She talks to industry expert Chris Druce about the big catering companies and their expansion into higher education. She visits a food co-op at the School of Oriental and African Studies; Dan Saladino visits Plymouth University on the day it hosts its first farmers market and talks to stall holders, students, and Slow Food UK about its efforts to enrol students in its philosophy and approach to food. And Professor Warren Belasco from the University of Maryland describes how there's nothing new about student activism around food - think 60s, the University of California at Berkeley, the counter culture.
Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +01001669http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101025-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35bd.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00vhdmdThe SandwichSheila Dillon hears from the people attempting to revolutionise the sandwich. We're now seeing the rise of food businesses specialising in just one type of sandwich using authentic recipes from around the world.
The food entrepreneurs are making everything from the Vietnamese Bahn Mi through to the Argentinean Lomito, all are sandwiches which rely on the makers finding authentic bread to match the original recipe.
This development is being watched closely by the large sandwich manufacturers supplying the supermarkets. The prepared sandwich business is with £3bn a year and is based on developing new ideas. Dan Saladino follows some sandwiches through the supply chain.
Sheila is also joined by the food writer Bee Wilson, the author of Sandwich: A Global History.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon hears from the people attempting to revolutionise the sandwich.Sheila Dillon hears from the people attempting to revolutionise the sandwich. We're now seeing the rise of food businesses specialising in just one type of sandwich using authentic recipes from around the world.
The food entrepreneurs are making everything from the Vietnamese Bahn Mi through to the Argentinean Lomito, all are sandwiches which rely on the makers finding authentic bread to match the original recipe.
This development is being watched closely by the large sandwich manufacturers supplying the supermarkets. The prepared sandwich business is with £3bn a year and is based on developing new ideas. Dan Saladino follows some sandwiches through the supply chain.
Sheila is also joined by the food writer Bee Wilson, the author of Sandwich: A Global History.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 17 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +01001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101018-1630.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35bl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00vc508Northern ApplesScagglethorpe Queening, Ribston Pippin, the Wass - Simon Parkes meets those restoring the orcharding tradition of the north, from the walled community garden at Helmsley to the orchard village of Husthwaite, and samples some of the commercial fruits of these orchards including a new cider brandy from the orchards of Ampleforth Abbey.
Dr Joan Morgan, apple expert and author of the seminal New Book of Apples, outlined many of the great northern varieties at the RHS London Autumn Harvest Show.
Michael Jack, President of the National Fruit Show, and a BBC Food & Farming Awards judge, samples some of the orchard drinks: Cheshire Apple Juice from Eddisbury Fruit Farm, Husthwaite's cider, and Ampleforth's cider brandy.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Scagglethorpe Queening, Ribston Pippin, the Wass - in praise of a local apple tradition.Scagglethorpe Queening, Ribston Pippin, the Wass - Simon Parkes meets those restoring the orcharding tradition of the north, from the walled community garden at Helmsley to the orchard village of Husthwaite, and samples some of the commercial fruits of these orchards including a new cider brandy from the orchards of Ampleforth Abbey.
Dr Joan Morgan, apple expert and author of the seminal New Book of Apples, outlined many of the great northern varieties at the RHS London Autumn Harvest Show.
Michael Jack, President of the National Fruit Show, and a BBC Food & Farming Awards judge, samples some of the orchard drinks: Cheshire Apple Juice from Eddisbury Fruit Farm, Husthwaite's cider, and Ampleforth's cider brandy.
Producer: Rebecca Moore.Sun, 10 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +01001691http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101011-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35bx.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00v6dqx03/10/2010Sheila Dillon looks at some of the latest developments in airline food. The supply chain is beginning to open up and innovative producers from the north east of Britain have succeeded in winning contracts to supply leading airlines. One of these suppliers - 'Look What We Found' - has led the way in technology to deliver quality ambient food in a bag. They've converted this to a tray of food that can be heated and eaten during a flight. Gate Gourmet, one of the largest providers of airline catering in the world, has had its difficulties in recent years - strike action and radical restructuring. Now back on its feet it has just opened a new £10m production kitchen. Sheila Dillon visits the new facilities and sees for herself the challenges of feeding and pleasing millions of people a year consuming meals 30,000 feet up in the sky.
producer: Lucinda Montefiore.Sheila Dillon looks at some of the new developments in airline food.Sheila Dillon looks at some of the latest developments in airline food. The supply chain is beginning to open up and innovative producers from the north east of Britain have succeeded in winning contracts to supply leading airlines. One of these suppliers - 'Look What We Found' - has led the way in technology to deliver quality ambient food in a bag. They've converted this to a tray of food that can be heated and eaten during a flight. Gate Gourmet, one of the largest providers of airline catering in the world, has had its difficulties in recent years - strike action and radical restructuring. Now back on its feet it has just opened a new £10m production kitchen. Sheila Dillon visits the new facilities and sees for herself the challenges of feeding and pleasing millions of people a year consuming meals 30,000 feet up in the sky.
producer: Lucinda Montefiore.Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +01001679http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog//radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20101004-1133.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35c7.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00v137pPastaSheila Dillon looks behind the scenes of the world's largest and smallest pasta factories. It's a difficult time as wheat prices are high and so competition for grain is fierce.
Fires, droughts and speculation in the wheat market together with poor harvests of durum wheat is creating a rise in prices. Pasta producers all over the world compete for the best quality semolina, produced from the milled, high protein and low yielding durum crop.
John Dickie, Professor of Italian Studies at University College London, outlines the rise and rise of pasta making in Italy dating back to the Middle Ages. Sicily had a large scale pasta export business dating back at least 1000 years but it wasn't until Italy's economic boom of the 1960's that pasta became a truly national dish.
Reporter Dany Mintzman follows five tonnes of spaghetti as it travels along the production line of the world's largest pasta factory, owned by Barilla, a family owned business started in the 1870s.
Farmers in the UK used to grow durum wheat when it was an EU subsidised crop. Although it is best suited to hot and dry weather conditions a lot of it was then used by British companies producing dried pasta for the supermarkets. That is no longer the case and the last factory selling mass market pasta stopped production in 2001, unable to compete with the vast scale of the Italian producers.
However in Cornwall, one farmer, Charlie Watson-Smyth has spent the last two years trying to grow durum wheat and then turn it into pasta to sell in his farm shop. As reporter Dilly Barlow discovers it's been such a success that he's now supplying The Eden Project and restaurants around Padstow.
Produced by Dan Saladino.Sheila Dillon looks behind the scenes of the world's largest and smallest pasta factories.Sheila Dillon looks behind the scenes of the world's largest and smallest pasta factories. It's a difficult time as wheat prices are high and so competition for grain is fierce.
Fires, droughts and speculation in the wheat market together with poor harvests of durum wheat is creating a rise in prices. Pasta producers all over the world compete for the best quality semolina, produced from the milled, high protein and low yielding durum crop.
John Dickie, Professor of Italian Studies at University College London, outlines the rise and rise of pasta making in Italy dating back to the Middle Ages. Sicily had a large scale pasta export business dating back at least 1000 years but it wasn't until Italy's economic boom of the 1960's that pasta became a truly national dish.
Reporter Dany Mintzman follows five tonnes of spaghetti as it travels along the production line of the world's largest pasta factory, owned by Barilla, a family owned business started in the 1870s.
Farmers in the UK used to grow durum wheat when it was an EU subsidised crop. Although it is best suited to hot and dry weather conditions a lot of it was then used by British companies producing dried pasta for the supermarkets. That is no longer the case and the last factory selling mass market pasta stopped production in 2001, unable to compete with the vast scale of the Italian producers.
However in Cornwall, one farmer, Charlie Watson-Smyth has spent the last two years trying to grow durum wheat and then turn it into pasta to sell in his farm shop. As reporter Dilly Barlow discovers it's been such a success that he's now supplying The Eden Project and restaurants around Padstow.
Produced by Dan Saladino.Sun, 26 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +01001682http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20100927-1632.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35cl.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00tx49yNorthern Ireland and "Focus on Food"Northern Ireland's new Focus on Food policy, published earlier this summer, aims to put food at the heart of economic growth, and encourage value added, and quality, food production.
While in the South the food revolution of the past 30 years created a plethora of innovative, quality food businesses to feed a burgeoning tourism sector, in the North the food and farming industries have been more commodity focused, and have lagged behind on the quality front. The Focus on Food strategy aims to provide expertise and support to stimulate the food and farming sectors, which, after the public sector, are the single biggest employers in the region.
Sheila Dillon visits two new value-added businesses, the sorts of enterprise Focus on Food is designed to encourage: Mash Direct, selling a range of mashes and vegetable dishes fresh through the retailers and providing an economic future for the family, and Glastry Farm whose dairy herd provide the milk for their premium ice creams based around regional produce like Armagh Bramleys, and strawberries. She also talks to established artisan baker Robert Ditty. Is the government strategy enough to kick start quality food entrepreneurism in Northern Ireland? And in the era of public-sector cuts will the financial back-up be available?Sheila Dillon visits Northern Ireland where food is being used to drive economic growth.Northern Ireland's new Focus on Food policy, published earlier this summer, aims to put food at the heart of economic growth, and encourage value added, and quality, food production.
While in the South the food revolution of the past 30 years created a plethora of innovative, quality food businesses to feed a burgeoning tourism sector, in the North the food and farming industries have been more commodity focused, and have lagged behind on the quality front. The Focus on Food strategy aims to provide expertise and support to stimulate the food and farming sectors, which, after the public sector, are the single biggest employers in the region.
Sheila Dillon visits two new value-added businesses, the sorts of enterprise Focus on Food is designed to encourage: Mash Direct, selling a range of mashes and vegetable dishes fresh through the retailers and providing an economic future for the family, and Glastry Farm whose dairy herd provide the milk for their premium ice creams based around regional produce like Armagh Bramleys, and strawberries. She also talks to established artisan baker Robert Ditty. Is the government strategy enough to kick start quality food entrepreneurism in Northern Ireland? And in the era of public-sector cuts will the financial back-up be available?Sun, 19 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +01001692http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20100920-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35cv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00tt3rrIce CreamIce Cream : Everyone seems to like ice cream and with the market worth an incredible one billion pounds a year, it would seem to be recession-proof. This programme explores the market and the marketing. There has been an explosion in the number of artisan producers so how do they all compete? And what keeps the big players at the top of their game? What is real ice cream anyway? And, what is the difference between ice cream and gelato?
Sheila Dillon presents the programme from one of the UK's best loved ice cream parlours and is joined by expert Robin Weir who has spent the last twelve years updating his book, "Ice Cream, Sorbets and Gelati" - co-authored with wife, Caroline, - and widely recognised as the definitive guide to ice cream.Shelia Dillon explores the seemingly recession-proof ice cream market.Ice Cream : Everyone seems to like ice cream and with the market worth an incredible one billion pounds a year, it would seem to be recession-proof. This programme explores the market and the marketing. There has been an explosion in the number of artisan producers so how do they all compete? And what keeps the big players at the top of their game? What is real ice cream anyway? And, what is the difference between ice cream and gelato?
Sheila Dillon presents the programme from one of the UK's best loved ice cream parlours and is joined by expert Robin Weir who has spent the last twelve years updating his book, "Ice Cream, Sorbets and Gelati" - co-authored with wife, Caroline, - and widely recognised as the definitive guide to ice cream.Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +01001681http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20100913-1634.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35d5.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00tnjszMark Hix in TransylvaniaChef Mark Hix travels to Transylvania to help revive a disappearing food culture. From cheese making shepherds to pickle producers, he meets the people improving food in Romania.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Chef Mark Hix travels to Transylvania to help revive its disappearing food traditions.Chef Mark Hix travels to Transylvania to help revive a disappearing food culture. From cheese making shepherds to pickle producers, he meets the people improving food in Romania.
Producer: Dan Saladino.Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +01001662http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20100907-1200.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35dk.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00tkpc3The Doner KebabRichard Johnson is on a mission to revive the fortunes of the British kebab.
A life long lover of the world famous street food he's convinced that a more authentic kebab culture can flourish in Britain. On his travels he finds out how and why it became so popular here and where most of the UK's kebabs are made.
Then, in order to understand the authentic techniques used in Turkish kebab making Richard travels to Istanbul and Bursa home of the Iskender kebab, a form of doner.
Will the family run business share its secret recipes and methods and help revive the kebab's reputation in Britain?
Produced by Dan Saladino.Food writer Richard Johnson is on a mission to revive the fortunes of the British kebab.Richard Johnson is on a mission to revive the fortunes of the British kebab.
A life long lover of the world famous street food he's convinced that a more authentic kebab culture can flourish in Britain. On his travels he finds out how and why it became so popular here and where most of the UK's kebabs are made.
Then, in order to understand the authentic techniques used in Turkish kebab making Richard travels to Istanbul and Bursa home of the Iskender kebab, a form of doner.
Will the family run business share its secret recipes and methods and help revive the kebab's reputation in Britain?
Produced by Dan Saladino.Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:00:00 +01001674http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/foodprog/foodprog_20100907-1155.mp3http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/http/vpid/p02q35dv.mp3 cleanBBC Radio 4/programmes/b00t83lm